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RULE 2 - PERMITS <br />Measures will be taken to protect the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water in the <br />• permit area and adjacent area, as well as the rights of present users to that water, from adverse <br />effects from the mining activities. These measures may include: limiting removal of groundwater <br />by dewatering activities to only the necessary amounts; use of groundwater produced by dewatering <br />for other mining - related purposes thereby avoiding use of water from other sources for those <br />purposes; monitoring the quality of the water pumped for dewatering and treatment of the water by <br />appropriate methods if necessary prior to its discharge; monitoring of groundwater levels to <br />anticipate and identify potential effects to existing users; providing alternative sources of water <br />using existing Peabody water rights to affected existing users; and monitoring the quality of <br />groundwater within and adjacent to the mine area to anticipate and identify potential effects to water <br />quality; and, where appropriate and feasible, making adjustments to activities so as to limit or <br />eliminate effects to water quality. Surface water resources will be protected by minimization of <br />surface disturbance, proper stabilization of disturbed areas, operation of sediment ponds for settling <br />of suspended solids, and application of appropriate small -scale sediment control measures. The <br />proposed surface water monitoring plan will detect adverse changes in surface water quality or <br />quantity in a timely manner, and enable corrective action to be taken. <br />Groundwater potentially related to the proposed mining activities occurs in five hydrostratigraphic <br />units described in Section 2.04.7. The two shallow aquifers include the reclaimed mine spoils <br />aquifer at the adjacent Seneca II Mine and the alluvial aquifers along Little Grassy Creek and <br />Grassy Creek. The three bedrock units include the Wadge coal and the underburden and overburden <br />below and above the coal. The bedrock units are adjacent to one another physically and are closely <br />related hydrologically; they form part of the basal Williams Fork aquifer described by Robson and <br />Stewart (1990). Conversely, the two major regional sandstone aquifers in the area, the Twentymile <br />• and Trout Creek aquifers, are not hydrologically related to the units to be disturbed by the proposed <br />mining. The regional aquifers occur about 600 feet above and 235 feet below the Wadge coal and <br />are isolated from the coal by low- permeability shale and claystone. <br />Registered beneficial -use wells in the general area are outside the area in which the calculated <br />potentiometric surface drawdown exceeds a few feet, as described in section 2.05.6(3)(b)(iii). <br />Additionally, no significant changes to the bedrock aquifer groundwater quality are anticipated to <br />occur as a result of mining. Consequently, no impact to the beneficial -use wells is expected. If such <br />impacts were to occur, they could be mitigated through use of water rights held by Peabody. <br />As discussed in section 2.04.7, potentially directly affected streams include Grassy Creek, Little <br />Grassy Creek, and Cow Camp Creek. Downstream waterways include Fish Creek and Trout Creek, <br />with the Yampa River as the ultimate receiving water body. The hydrologic environment in the <br />mine permit and adjacent areas is described and characterized in detail in Sections 2.04.5, General <br />Description of Geology and Hydrology, and 2.04.7, Hydrologic Description. Relevant hydrologic <br />features are shown on Map 2.04.5 -M1, Regional Geology and Hydrology, and Map 2.04.7 -M1, <br />Hydrology. <br />In order to assess the probable hydrologic consequences of the planned mining and related activities <br />SCCC has reviewed and evaluated all available information on baseline hydrologic conditions in <br />Section 2.04.7, Hydrology Description, which characterizes the existing surface and ground water <br />environments. Within the context of the existing hydrologic conditions, SCCC then considered all <br />• potential hydrologic impacts, both positive and negative, which could occur as a result of the <br />current and planned mining and related activities based on the plans presented in Sections 2.05.2 <br />and 2.05.3, Operations Plan, and Section 2.05.4, Reclamation Plan. Both direct and indirect <br />PSCM Permit App. 2.05 -68 Revision 12/17/09 <br />