2011-03-25_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (2)

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4.05.12 Protection of Groundwater Recharge Capacity The reclamation plan as described in 2.05.4 will return the disturbed lands to approximately the pre - mining condition; therefore, ground water recharge capacity is expected to approximate the premining condition. Also, because of the minimal existence of ground water in the mining area, the mining operation and subsequent reclamation should have no adverse effect on the existing ground water recharge capacities. The history of the ground water monitoring plan is further documented in 4.05.13. The mine has not established Point of Compliance locations for ground water monitoring because of a lack of ground water. The following discussion is provided to document this: The aspect of monitoring ground water is dependent on whether or not there is a continuous, non - perched ground water layer /zone to monitor. Since active mining at Colowyo Mine began 30 years ago, the mining zone in both the East and West Pits have not encountered any significant ground water, except for perched ground water. Therefore, the following is presented to clarify the ground water conditions at the Colowyo Mine. Geology /Topography The Colowyo Mine is located in the Williams Fork Formation of the Cretaceous Mesaverde Group. The Williams Fork Formation is comprised of discordant beds /units of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone and coal seams, with an approximate thickness of 1,200 to 1,300 feet in the mine area. Deposited in a deltaic environment, the beds vary in thickness and lateral extent throughout the Colowyo Mine. The numerous coal seams also vary in thickness and lateral extent. The sandstones tend to be very fine grained to fine grained and poorly sorted, with various amounts of silt and clay. For the siltstones and mudstones, theses units contain various amounts of finer and coarser materials. The total mined sequence in both pits is up to 450 feet thick and is comprised principally of mudstones, siltstones and coals, with sandstone layers being least prevalent. The Williams Fork Formation conformably overlies the Iles Formation. At the top of the Iles Formation is the Trout Creek Sandstone (TCSS). The TCSS is a massive, white to light gray, very fine to fine grained, moderately well sorted sandstone with a thickness of between 50 and 70 feet and is approximately 1,200 to 1,300 feet below the Colowyo Mine. This is the only mapped continuous unit in the area of the Colowyo Mine and has been noted as being an excellent marker bed for correlation work of the coal seams. Beneath the TCSS, the Iles Formation is comprised of sandstones, siltstones and marine shales. Two major features, the Collom Syncline and the Danforth Hills Anticline/Wilson Dome, control the geologic structure in the area of Colowyo Mine. The axis of the Collom Syncline, located approximately 0.5 miles north of the north edge of the reclaimed East Pit, trends west- northwest (approximately N60 °W) with a slight dip in the axis to the west - northwest. The Collom Syncline is sub - parallel to the Axial Anticline on the north and the Danforth Hills Anticline on the south. The Collom Syncline is asymmetrical, with the north flank of the syncline steeply dipping (20 °- 40°) to the south - southwest. The south flank dips to the north - northeast at around 10 °f5 °. The Colowyo Mine is located on the south flank of the Collom Syncline. Therefore, based on the geologic structure of the area, the coal seams and non -coal beds of the Colowyo Mine dip to the north - northeast at approximately 10 °. The southern portion of the Colowyo Mine is located on a structural high, an unnamed anticline, which is an offshoot of the Danforth Hills anticline. Rule 4 Performance Standards 4.05 -8 Revision Date: 2/01/11 Revision No.: TR -87