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Discussion on the Impacts on Groundwater Quality <br /> In Coal Basin all of the strata or aquifers run away or <br /> down dip from the Basin. The system is extremely tight , <br /> very little water is developed in the entire mine complex <br /> which is over a mile deep and seven miles wide (maximum of <br /> 360 GPM from the five combined mines in the spring) . These <br /> mines (and sump storage areas) have been in operation since <br /> 1956 and therefore indicate a long term effect on water <br /> quality and quantity . The water quality can be evaluated by <br /> studying the NPDES records for the past seven years (App . <br /> III-E-4) . These records show no impacts on water quality . <br /> This , in combination with the tightness of the aquifers and <br /> the depth of the aquifers (over 1500 '+) , leaves us to believe <br /> there will be no significant impact on the groundwater <br /> quality of the aquifers that move away from Coal Basin . <br /> In Coal Basin the groundwater consists of shallow (0 <br /> to 50 ' ) sand and gravel deposits layed down in the draws and <br /> canyon bottoms . These deposits daylight out or come to the <br /> surface at several points in Coal Basin. This means that <br /> our past and present (7 years) surface water monitoring <br /> system would detect any changes in the groundwater quality . <br /> This system is backed up with our groundwater quality monitoring <br /> system which includes two wells in the preparation plant <br /> area and two wells in the tunnel area . <br /> The combined ground and surface water monitoring data <br /> collected in Coal Basin over the past seven years indicate <br /> no adverse affects in both quality and quantity from our <br /> mining operations . We are convinced that future monitoring <br /> will continue to support this conslusion. <br /> 12 . 1 <br />