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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. This was a complete inspection of the Meadows No. 1 Mine, in conjunction with a Phase III Bond Release inspection for the Portion of the reclaimed pit area owned by Grassy Creek Coal Company. Present dunng the inspection were Larry Routten and Susan Burgmaier of CDMG, Barbara Bowerman of the Office of Surface Mining, Bryan Archer of Sun Coal Company; and Michael Savage, of Savage and Savage, who is a consultant for Sun Coal Company. Weather conditions were warm, ground conditions indicated there had not been much precipitation recently. Records were inspected at the Routt County Courthouse. All required records were available for review, but some records were not current. Items which were not current have been submitted to the Division office, and so just need to be updated at the courthouse. The operator should get all records current through the second quarter of 1996. Hydrologic Balance -All three sedimentation ponds held water below the discharge level. The Upper Pond was leaking a small amount of water from the discharge gate, but the water was flowing to the Lower Pond. A few seeps were noted in the pit area, on the south end. They were moist areas less than 15 square feet in area, with no measurable flow. These seeps had been observed in previous wet years. One other seep, which had not been previously identified, appeared in the drainage to the Upper Pond, roughly 100' above the water lme. The spring below the Lower Pond was flowing. Field parameters were recorded as pH 7.5, EC 1800, temperature 10°C. The presence of and quality of water in this spring does not appear to be mine related. Reclaimed areas do not appear to be contributing solids in excess of adjacent, non-mined areas, based on a lack of soil pedestalling or excessive rilling. Backfilling and Grading -The pit area was backfilled to the approved post mining topography in 1983. Monitoring by the operator and Division observations since then give no md~cat~on of instability. All lateral ditches and the northwest ditch have been backfilled and graded to blend with the surrounding to ography. The northwest ditch was completed on June 5, 1996. The upper two lateral d~tcges were graded in the Fall on 1994, and the remainder were graded in the Spring of 1995. Revegetation of the site was completed in 1984, and appears to have been successful. The site exhibits a healthy, diverse stand of vegetation. With a few minor exceptions, erosion is controlled by vegetation. Plants observed during the inspections included c~cer nulkvetch, smooth brome, wheatgrasses, sheep fescue, alfalfa, Wood's rose, sage brush, and choke cherry. The shrub clumps which were transplanted in 1984 are leafing out at the bases, and appear to have finally taken hold. Mcadows No. 1 Mine 1 July 3, 1996