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August 4, 2000 Seneca Coal Company (SCC) P.O. Box 670 Hayden, CO 81639 Seneca lI Mine Complete, oversight inspection August 2, 2000 Participants: Mike Altavilla, SCC Mike Boulay, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) Howard Strand, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Henry Austin, OSM [ participated in a complete, oversight inspection of the Seneca lI mine with the above participants. Weather conditions were hot and dry, and ground conditions were extremely dry with no recent precipitation in the area. The primary focus of the inspection was reclamation success and off-site impacts. We began the inspection with a field review of the affected and reclaimed areas. Coal removal is complete at the mine and final backfilling and grading activities have been occurring essentially the past two years. Final reclamation progress at the Wolf Creek and Wadge Pits during this time has been excellent, and Mr. Boulay has worked closely with SCC to ensure stable surface water runoff configurations in the post mining landscape and particularly the permanent/protecteddvainage channels. Only a small area of pit backfill remains at the north end of the disturbed area in the Wadge Pit. SCC hopes to have this area backfilled and graded this year, and topsoiled /seeded if the drainage channel work in the Wolf Creek area can also be completed. We made stops /observations at the following: Wolf Creek area (post mining drainage) channel 4 which is being completed. Fabric liner and durable rock rip rap is being placed in the channel and a scraper was replacing topsoil along the completed areas during the inspection. This area will be seeded this fall. A weed sprayer was also located here and SCC has treated weed concentrations in the 1 year old seeded areas. We walked the reclaimed north end of the Wadge Pit to the remaining small open pit area. SCC has done an excellent job of contour restoration and slope blending in this area, and only a small amount of final grading remains as noted above. We inspected sediment pond 008 and [he topsoil pile here is being used in the Wadge Pit area. Several large rainbow trout (15 to 20 in.) were noted near the south end of the pond embankment as we approached.