INSPEC01561

• Permit No: C1981042
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 8/13/2007
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

1. In 1977, Arness-McGriffin Coal Co (AMCC) received a Minerals Program permit (77-3 uglc) for
the Coal Gulch Mine. A 513,000+ bond was posted.
2. In 1979, MLRB issued two Cease and Desist Orders to AMCC, one for mining outside the approved
permit area and the other for conducting unapproved surtace mining operations.
3. In 1981, in response to the C&Ds, AMCC submitted a permanent program application (C-81-042) for
the Coal Gulch Mine; however, this application was never found Complete, as AMCC apparently
subsequently decided to not obtain a new permanent program permit.
4. In 1981, AMCC allowed its Minerals Permit to expire; the $13,000+ bond, however, was left in
place.
5. In 1985, Peerless Resources Inc (PRI) received a permanent program permit for the lower part of
the Coal Gulch Mine (C-1984-067). A bond of $140,000 was posted. The highwall (upper) area was
left as Sam Arness' responsibility to reclaim.
6. In 1987, MLRD directed Sam Amess to prepare a reclamation plan for the highwall (upper) area,
which was accepted by the Division in Feb 1988. No MLRD permit for this upper area was issued.
7. From 1985 through 1987, PRI received numerous violations, which culminated in the revocation of
Permit # C-1984-067 in November 1988. PRI's $140,000 bond was left in place.
8. In 1989, Sam Arness was found not implementing the 1988 approved reclamation plan for the
upper area, and the $13,000+ AMCC bond was forfeited. Reclamation of the upper area by
IMP subsequently occurred, with revegetation occurring in the fall of 1989 (according to a
DMG inspection report).
9. In 1990, PRI's $140,000 bond was forfeited.
10. In 1993, Steve Renner asked IMP to develop a reclamation plan for the Coal Gulch Mine, the goals
of which were to "stabilize the highwall and the Coal Gulch (upland) diversion, revegetate the area,
and treat the drainage coming from the pond". IMP developed a new reclamation plan, and
reclaimed the Coal Gulch Mine in 1994.
11. Additional reclamation work was done at the upper area by IMP in 1996. This included some
reseeding work. Installation of apost-and-cable guard rail along a portion of the outer edge of the
road to the upper area occurred in 1212000 and 1/2001.
12. We have no money left for either site.
On the portal backfill area there are a couple of acres where revegetation efforts by the AML project have been
successful. I observed: Rabbitbrush, four-wing saltbrush, sweetclover, western wheatgrass, green needlegrass,
rye grass, penstemon, sainfoin, a couple of annual mustard species, Canadian thistle and Musk thistle.
My recommendation for revegetation sampling is to conduct minimal sampling, if at all, given that this is a 'pre-
law' site and there are only a couple of acres where sampling could take place.