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disturbance and soil stockpiles be performed within a year of disturbance. No off- <br />property or off- truck transport of visible emissions is allowed. Equipment will be <br />maintained regularly to minimize exhaust emissions. Blasting patterns will be designed <br />to minimize dust generation by limiting the near surface affects of the blast. The permit <br />includes stated limits for annual production, explosive usage and the amount of coal <br />stockpiled. <br />In addition to environmental dust regulations, the mine will be covered by MSHA health <br />and safety standards which limit the exposure of respirable dust for mine employees. <br />Water <br />A well will be developed for the domestic water supply. The well will be permitted and <br />an augmentation plan developed to minimize the impact of the use of the water. <br />DRMS has very strict surface drainage requirements. They require that all surface water <br />run-off be directed through sediment ponds where 24 hours of detention is provided for <br />all storm events up to a 10 year, 24 hour event. The pond must safely pass a 25 year <br />event through an emergency spillway. The Division requires detailed design of the <br />diversion of unaffected run-off around the ponds and the collection of affected drainage <br />for delivery to the ponds. The operation of surface drainage systems is closely monitored <br />during monthly DRMS inspections. Substantial fines can be levied if not properly <br />maintained. Discharge from the sediment pond must meet surface water discharge <br />requirements of the Colorado Division of Public Health and Environment. NPDES <br />permits will be acquired for all surface water discharges and regular monitoring and <br />sampling of the discharges will be done to assure compliance with discharge permit <br />limits. <br />The NHN Mine area is semi and and receives only about 12 inches of precipitation per <br />year. The hydrologic systems (groundwater and surface water) are primarily dependent <br />upon seasonal irrigation which is supplied to the area by way of the Colorado <br />Cooperative Company's Second Park Lateral ditch. This ditch supplies about 20 cubic <br />feet/sec of water diverted from the San Miguel River. The irrigation season begins in late <br />April or early May and continues into October. Water flowing in the ditch seeps directly <br />into the weathered bedrock and soil along the course of the ditch. Water used in <br />irrigating also percolates into the weathered bedrock. The irrigation water migrates <br />through joints, fissures and thin layers of porous and permeable rock into the overburden, <br />the coal, and the under-burden strata that will be affected by the proposed coal mining at <br />the NHN Mine. Evaluation and modeling of the groundwater inflows will be performed <br />for the Mining and Reclamation Permit. Groundwater encountered during mining will be <br />pumped from the mine and routed through sediment ponds prior to discharge to surface <br />water. NPDES permits will be required for the surface discharge of the groundwater. <br />Groundwater in the coal seams and overburden is tributary to the surface water. By <br />pumping and discharging water encountered while mining to the surface, little affect on <br />surface water flows are anticipated. The ground water wells in the area are typically from <br />geologic formations lower than the coal seam and studies performed by the Mine have <br />not indicated potential for affecting the quantity and quality of water used from nearby <br />Page 11