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III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />The bond release inspection was conducted on 19 and 20 July 2013. All of the requested areas <br />were small, linear areas and included drill pads for MDW's and their associated access roads. <br />The MDW wells, pads and roads were located above the B -Seam in longwall panels 19 -21, in the <br />E -Seam above longwall panel 1 or in the E -Seam above longwall panel 4. The B -Seam wells, <br />pads and roads were located in the Box Canyon area and the E -Seam wells, pads and roads were <br />located in the West Flatirons and the Dry Fork of the Minnesota Creek areas. Based on the <br />application, there were 24 individual disturbed sites. All of the sites were inspected on 19 and 20 <br />July 2013. All of the requested sites are listed on the attached Table 11. <br />The reclamation plan for MDW pads generally has the following three steps: <br />1. Upon completion of each phase of activity at a given site, all debris, trash, and drilling related <br />equipment, or de -gas housing will be removed from the site. <br />2. When the mud pit or pits are sufficiently dry, they will be filled with stored soil material and <br />compacted to minimize any settling. <br />3. A backhoe and a bulldozer will redistribute material on and around the drill pad to achieve as <br />closely as practicable the original contour of the site. The area will then be ripped or scarified. <br />Additionally, the reclamation plan calls for MDW access roads to be restored as closely as <br />possible to the approximate original contour, with an uneven final surface. <br />Approximate original contour for the drill pads and roads was verified during the inspection by <br />visual observation because of the small sizes of the disturbed areas (most drill pads are less than <br />one acre) and because all of the material that was regraded to achieve approximate original <br />contour was stockpiled on each site (or used in the pad or road cut and fill). <br />Additionally, wellbore locations on the ground surface were inspected for compliance with Rule <br />4.07.3, which requires that well bore closures be designed to prevent access to the mine workings <br />and to keep acid other toxic drainage from entering ground or surface waters. Rule 4.07.3 also <br />requires all holes to be marked. MCC also provided well abandonment reports in the SL -05 <br />application for all of the plugged and sealed boreholes in accordance with Rule 4.07.3(3). <br />No debris, trash, drilling related equipment or de -gas housings were found in the bond release <br />areas. No mud pits were found. Borehole location markers were found on all of the locations. <br />All backfill material appeared to have been properly regraded on disturbed areas in the bond <br />release area, resulting in the disturbed lands blending well with the natural contour of adjacent <br />undisturbed lands. Cut slopes have also been regraded to blend with adjacent undisturbed lands. <br />Access roads have uneven surfaces as specified in the reclamation plan. Large boulders block <br />access to the reclaimed roads from the actively -used Forest Service roads. Downed trees also <br />block access on the reclaimed roads. All regraded areas appeared structurally stable, with no <br />signs of slumps or slides. No tension cracks, head scarps, or compression bulges were found. <br />West Elk Mine SL -05 Findings 5 11 February 2014 <br />