2018-11-13_INSPECTION - C2010089

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Mine Site Inspection Mine Name: New Horizon North Mine Permittee: Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation, LLC Permit ID#: C-2010-089 Inspection Date: November 6, 2018; 9:00 — 12:00 Inspection Type: Partial Phase I Bond Release (SL -1) Weather Conditions: Seasonably warm (40's — 50's), dry ground, clear skies Participants: Christine Belka, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) #182 Brock Bowles, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) Frank Ferris, Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation, LLC George Glasier, Landowner The New Horizon North Mine is an active, non -producing, surface coal mine. The permit area is located just northwest of Nucla, Colorado. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., parent company to Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation, LLC, has requested Phase 1, II, and III bond release for three sealed groundwater monitoring wells under its SL -1 application. Land surface and mineral estates are privately owned. The subject wells are in the northern end of the permit area which was not otherwise disturbed by mining activities. Reclamation Success: The phased bond release process is outlined at Colorado Rule 3.03.1(2). Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation, LLC is requesting all phases of bond release for the sealed three wells. Because these were discrete drilling disturbances with no surface excavation, bond release requirements relate only to the required reclamation activities. In this case, the proper sealing and abandonment of the monitoring wells. All three nominated wells were sealed on August 30, 2018. Vegetation and topsoil were not removed from the well locations and therefore have not been replaced or replanted which would necessitate a 10 - year revegetation responsibility period under Rules 3.02.3(2) and 4.15.7(5). However, the location has been seeded with the mine's Seed Mix #3. This mix includes: slender wheatgrass, desert wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, orchard grass, Canada bluegrass, plains coreopsis, California poppy, annual sunflower, and firewheel. This seed is intended to supplement the existing vegetation and native seed bank which were not removed during drilling, groundwater monitoring, or well abandonment activities. Signs and Markers (Rule 4.02): The mine permit area is fenced and mine identification signs are properly displayed at all entrances from public roads. All topsoil stockpiles are properly marked. Stream buffer zone markers are in place on both sides of the stream corridor. Roads (Rule 4.03): All roads traveled were in good repair. The access road corridor to the pond south of the main permit area is marked with permit boundary markers on both sides. Hydrologic Balance (Rule 4.05): Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation recently re -worked both Ponds 1 and 2 to reduce their capacity. Because mining operations ceased before the planned life -of -mine end, the ponds were oversized to accommodate actual disturbed area drainage. Backfill material was placed within the long edges of the ponds and graded to an appropriate slope. Pond inlets and outlets were not modified through this process, Page I 1