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The Division has granted small area exemption status from use of sediment ponds to seven areas <br />of the Bowie No. 1 Mine due to the limited size of the areas and due to the fact that ponds and <br />treatment facilities are not necessary for the drainage to meet the effluent limitations of Rule <br />4.05.2 and applicable State and Federal water quality standards for receiving streams and also <br />due to the fact that no mixing of surface drainage with a discharge from underground workings <br />will occur. The small areas to be exempted are the Bowie No. 1 West Mine fill outslopes <br />(formerly north and south but now replaced by two sediment ponds), Bowie No. 1 West Mine <br />vent fan site, training trailer area outslopes (now reclaimed), the silo area railroad outslopes, the <br />Bowie No. 1 main facilities fan area (now reclaimed) and the south portion of the highway coal <br />stockpile area. See permit application Section 2.05, Volume 8 and Maps 8-IA, 8 -2, 8 -3, 8 -6, and <br />8 -7 (4.05.2(3)(b)(i)). <br />Stream Channel Diversions <br />A clean water diversion above the main facilities area of the Bowie No. 1 East Mine directs <br />undisturbed area flow around the facilities area to minimize surface water flow through that site. <br />A similar clean water diversion ditch existed above the facilities at the West Mine portal bench <br />area. However, due to reclamation operations at that site, the clean water diversion ditch was <br />reclaimed. A system of lined and unlined ditches conveys waters from the disturbed areas to the <br />sediment ponds. Design details can be found in the approved permit application, Volumes 6, 8, <br />and 8A. <br />In order to minimize water quality impact to water flowing through the Bowie No. 1 West Mine <br />area, water from East Roatcap Creek is diverted to West Roatcap Creek. To verify that no water <br />is lost through diversion of the Overland Ditch, surface water monitoring point SW -09 was <br />moved to, and is currently monitored at, the point of the diversion from East Roatcap Creek. <br />Because of limited space at the West Mine, East Roatcap Creek was diverted through a 48 inch <br />diameter culvert so that the West Mine portal bench could be built over the creek. When the <br />mine bench was reclaimed, the East Roatcap Creek culvert and about 10 feet of cover soil were <br />left in place. Two sediment ponds were built over the creek culvert for sediment control until the <br />upper portion of the West Mine bench stabilizes with vegetation. Once this upper portion <br />becomes stabilized, the buried culvert will be removed and the East Roatcap Creek will be <br />reconstructed. <br />Sedimentation Ponds <br />The Bowie No. 1 mine plan is designed to minimize the impacts of the project on the surface <br />water hydrology of the region. Disturbed area drainage from the East Mine benches, parking <br />area, west portal fill, and loadout site is collected and treated on the site. Four sediment ponds <br />collect disturbed area drainage from the mine benches. Another pond controls sediment <br />generated by the West Ridge waste pile. One pond controls drainage from the timber storage <br />area (i.e., training trailer area; run of mine coal stockpile area), and two ponds collect drainage <br />from the disturbed areas of the loadout, truck scales, and highway coal stockpile area. The West <br />Mine portal bench area drained to one sedimentation pond except for exempted portions of the <br />fill face and the ventilation fan facilities, which had small area exemption waivers. With the <br />reclamation work at the West Mine portal bench area, the backfilled and graded area now drains <br />to two sedimentation ponds. Small area exemptions have also been approved, with appropriate <br />demonstrations, for the original mine ventilation bench, the training trailer fill outslopes (now <br />Page 22 of 42 <br />