2017-08-04_INSPECTION - C1994082

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Mine Site Inspection Mine Name: Yoast Mine Permittee: Seneca Property, LLC Permit ID#: C-1994-082 Inspection Date: July 19, 2017 9:00 — 2:15 Inspection Type: Partial Phase I & III Bond Release (SL -6) Weather Conditions: Hot (80's and 90's), clear / scattered clouds, dry ground Participants: Christine Belka, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) #182 Miranda Blomquist, Seneca Property LLC Jennifer Maiolo, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Jason Musick, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) Jerry Nettleton, Seneca Property LLC Gary Valora, representing landowner John Patrick The Yoast Mine is a non -producing surface coal mine in permanent cessation status. The permit area is located just south of Hayden, Colorado. This was a partial Phase I and III bond release inspection. Seneca Property, LLC has requested Phase I bond release for 94.9 acres and Phase III bond release for 277.2 acres under its SL -6 application. Land surface and mineral estates are a combination of federal and private ownership. All areas have had topsoil replaced and were revegetated between 1997 and 2013. The phased bond release process is outlined at Colorado Rule 3.03.1(2). At Phase 1, up to sixty percent of the bond will be released when the operator successfully completes backfilling, grading, and drainage control in accordance with approved plans. At Phase III, the remaining portion of bond may be released for an area when all operations are completed in accordance with the approved plan and the revegetation responsibility period (10 years in areas receiving less than 26" average annual precipitation) has expired. We began the inspection on the north end of the permit in Phase I Area 15 (SL -6 Map IA). This —3 acre parcel includes a permanent topsoil stockpile which is still marked. The topsoil material was salvaged and dedicated to reclaiming the road, which is now approved for permanent retention although reduced in size from the original haul road corridor. Vegetation is thriving and all slopes are stable. We then walked the 188.13 acre North Pit Phase III area. The two -track road is being retained permanently for ranch access. Vegetation is well-established throughout the parcel, and consists of primarily desirable species (e.g. Leymus cinereus, Elymus trachycaulus, Achillea millefolium, Balsamorhiza sagittata) although a few List B noxious weeds such as houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) are present. All remaining ponds have been approved for permanent retention as stock water ponds. The small upland retention ponds were not holding water during our inspection. Pond 11A, outside of the proposed Phase III parcel, was holding water. All slopes were observed to be stable. Proposed Phase I bond release Area 29 (former access road) and Area 1 (electrical substation) were stable and vegetated. Together, this parcel is approximately 0.8 acres. The electrical substation will remain in place permanently. Proposed Phase I bond release Areas 8, 12 and 14, a combined 1.04 acre parcel, includes a slump which was previously rejected for Phase I release. The area was subsequently evaluated by an engineer who Page I 1