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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 C O L D RA D O <br />Phone: (303) 8663567 n t v t s t o N o r <br />RECLAMATION <br />FAX: (303) 832$106 INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM MINING <br /> - &- <br /> SAFETY <br /> Bill Owens <br />DATE: September 12, 2006 Governor <br /> Russell George <br />TO: Jim Stark Executive Director <br />Ronald W. Cattany <br />Division Director <br />FROM• Mike Boulay Natural Resource Trustee <br />RE: Colowyo Mine (Permit No. C-81-019) <br />Permit Revision No. 2 (PR-02) <br />I have reviewed PR-02 and the existing permit document with regard to groundwater <br />points of compliance [(Rule 4.05.13(1)] for the Colowyo Mine. This initial review was <br />conducted by Byron Walker and I back in April 2005. As a result of that review the <br />DRMS put question (item 55) in the May 5, 2005 Midterm Review as follows: <br />"Please review your ground water monitoring program specific to establishing a <br />groundwater point (or points) of compliance at the Colowyo Coal Mine, and provide <br />the Division with your input and feedback. The Division will, upon your request, assist <br />you during this process to identify the need for, and, if necessary, to determine the <br />specific location(s) for, ground water points of compliance." <br />In response, Colowyo updated page 4.05-9a of the permit document with MR-75 <br />(revision date 11/17/05) as follows: "The mine has not established Point of <br />Compliance locations for ground water monitoring because of a lack of ground <br />water..." <br />I do not fully agree with this statement and, I believe that there is the potential to <br />negatively impact alluvial groundwater. In the April 2005 review (which resulted in <br />preparation of a Draft April 12, 2005 Memo prepared by Byron Walker and reviewed and <br />edited by me) three specific zones of groundwater that have the potential to be impacted <br />were evaluated. These include bedrock groundwater, backfill and excess spoil <br />groundwater, and alluvial groundwater. A synopsis of our review is provided below. <br />Bedrock Groundwater <br />The upper bedrock units of the strata to be mined demonstrate relatively low yields, and <br />groundwater occurrences aze not continuous but are a series of perched systems. The <br />perched aquifers are of limited extent and lazgely removed by the mining process. Drill <br />holes within the Colowyo Permit area to the lowest coal seam to be mined were generally <br />dry. <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation ARive and Inactive Mines <br />