Laserfiche WebLink
- <br />slickensided fractures are polished and sometimes striated often occurring at about 45 to the <br />core axis. The fractures that were observed in sandstone bodies were open or filled completely or <br />partially with calcite. <br />The rocks of the Raton Formation reflect low permeability and most of the groundwater <br />movement, as indicated above, is via fractures and joints. Sandstone units are relatively dirty <br />and consisted of a clay matrix or cemented by silica or calcite thereby diminishing the pore <br />spaces and decreasing permeability. However, coal seams, due to their brittle nature and cleat <br />occurrence and frequency tend to have the highest degree of permeability within the Raton <br />Formation. Most cleats were void of mineralization infill. During the 2010 drilling program <br />extensive packer testing was performed to fully identify the hydrologic characteristics of the <br />strata and coal seams. It was determined that the coal seams were the major source of <br />groundwater in the Raton Formation. The results of packer testing are summarized in section <br />2.04.7. <br />Aside from the coal seams and fractures within sandstone bodies of the Raton <br />Formations, other groundwater sources may occur along igneous dikes and sills, faults and <br />within Quaternary alluvium deposited in the Purgatoire River valley. Igneous intrusions can <br />locally modify the groundwater characteristics within the Raton Formation but these features are <br />rare in the permit area and when encountered did not reportedly impact the operations on a water <br />management standpoint. Another source of groundwater is contained within Quaternary <br />alluvium of the Purgatorie River valley. However, only development mining is planned for those <br />areas overlain by thick alluvium and hydrologic communication is unlikely with prudent mine <br />designs. <br />2.04.6 (lb &c) <br />The New Elk Mine is planned to utilize underground mining methods with little to no <br />impacts to the surface aside from disturbances associated with mine access, preparation, <br />ventilation shafts, transportation and waste disposal. <br />In order to identify potential acid - forming, toxic - forming, or alkalinity - producing <br />materials that would impact reclamation efforts, samples were analyzed in the past to assess <br />potential impacts. A sample of refuse leachate was collected and analyzed, the results of which <br />are presented in Table 13 on Page 51 of the report by Water, Waste and Land Ltd., reference 2 in <br />Exhibit 8. The results indicate that the total alkalinity was 772 mg/L, the total acidity was 780 <br />mg/L and the pH was 8.0. Considerable amount of testing was performed on core collected <br />during the 2010 drilling program and documented in the following sections of the document. <br />Based on available analytical data, low sulfur levels for the coal seams and associated <br />strata pose minimal impact in reference to acid mine drainage. With slightly basic groundwater <br />and low sulfur values of the strata, reclamation efforts at the New Elk Mine should be highly <br />successful. <br />TR56 2.04 -11a Revised 1 /10 /11 <br />