2016-11-25_INSPECTION - C1981041

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Federal and private coal is mined at this site. DRMS administers the bond release process in part through the State- Federal Cooperative Agreement found at 30 CFR, Part 906.30. DRMS also follows the “Guidelines Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues,”- dated April 18, 1995-as well as, sections contained in Rule 4.15, Rule 3 to evaluate reclamation success on bond release sites. The current bond is valued at $805,952.60. The inspection began at 11:30 am. A short meeting occurred – led by Mr. Ebert and Mr. Hernandez- CO DRMS- at the mine site. The purpose of the meeting was to brief everyone on what we would be observing that day. We began by evaluating the Southern portion of the mine site, then, slowly progressed to the northern portion of the mine site. Specifically, Roadside North permanent drainage features, Ponds 6,7,8,9,10,11 and 13, Cameo refuse disposal area #1, Cameo borrow areas #1 and #2 and substation G. Per OSMRE Phase II and III release rules and the DRMS bond release guidance document, the following items were evaluated: 1.) Topsoil replacement thickness. 2.) Vegetation cover and bare areas. 3.) Species composition. 4.) Re-establishment of essential hydrologic functions on Alluvial Valley Floors (AVF’s). Note: This was not applicable for this mine. 5.) Erosional features. 6.) The condition of the sediment ponds and any needed maintenance on the ponds receiving runoff from the bond release parcels. 7) All temporary ponds/roads/ditches reclaimed with successful reclamation. 8) Subsidence areas reclaimed/damage compensation (to landowner) completed. The location of the areas being released is located on the SL-9 bond release maps submitted with the application. Administrative: All administrative standards had been met. Hydrologic Balance: All required water monitoring reports were found to be up to date and submitted in a timely fashion. There were no discharging outlets during this inspection.