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feet (the elevation of the bottom of the airshaft and slope entries) allowing entry into and <br />exploration of the mine. Initial pumping capacity is planned at 4,000 gpm. Location of the <br />pumping system is shown on Map 11 - Surface Facilities and Roads East Portal. At this rate <br />dewatering may take from 6 -9 months dependent on actual quantities of water encountered. After <br />dewatering to 7162' elevation, pumping will continue to occur from pumps located underground <br />and the temporary system will be removed. <br />Prior to mine closure, mine water quality allowed discharge directly into the Purgatoire River <br />with no treatment. Since closure, mine water samples have been periodically extracted from the <br />East Portal airshaft and a borehole into the mine workings (NEW -2 and NEW -4 of the <br />hydrologic monitoring plan). Sample results collected at these sites indicate that direct discharge <br />can be resumed in compliance with NPDES permit limitations. Additional samples will be <br />collected at the pump head and analyzed for the parameters listed in the NPDES permit renewal <br />application, page 10 items 26 and 28 (Exhibit 22 of the New Elk permit). No discharge to the <br />Purgatoire River will occur until confirmation of satisfactory test results. <br />Water generated in the mine workings is pumped to Pond 001 for settling prior to discharge to <br />the Purgatoire River. Water pumped from the mines is not expected to exceed 600 gallons per <br />minute. Mine water is retained in the pond only as necessary to reduce total suspended solids <br />concentration to below 35 mg/l. Any excess pond capacity is used for water storage to <br />supplement mining and preparation plant operations to the extent allowed by water rights leased <br />by NECC. The primary spillway for Pond 1 is a 24 inch diameter corrugated metal pile. NECC <br />installed a 10" diameter flow meter at the end of the primary spillway to satisfy the Division of <br />Water Resources request for a flow measuring device. A 10" diameter flow meter has a capacity <br />of 1,800 gallon per minute. <br />Figure 5 provides design criteria and proposed cross - sections for pond 001. The location of pond <br />001 is shown on Map 13 Sheet 1, Sediment and Surface Water Control Plan-East Portal. Coal <br />processing waste (from sediment pond clean-out) and remnant coal stockpile debris was removed <br />from the pond site and disposed of at the Development Waste Pile prior to pond construction. <br />(5) Topsoil <br />A majority of the disturbance at the New Elk Mine occurred prior to existing regulations on <br />salvaging topsoil. As such, only a limited amount is available for reclamation. The exception to <br />this is the refuse <br />MR - 111 2.05 -19 Revised 04 -13 -12 <br />