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INSPECTION REPORT • Harch 22, 1990 Walden Coal Co PO Box 229 Boulder, Co Bourg Strip mine P•e 1 Ground and Weather Conditions: two to three feet of enoc on the northern exposed slopes, patchp open cpots on the south facing slopes with some melt occurring; earn and sunny Personnel Present During the Inspection: Halt Ayers: Consultant for Walden Coal, former mine manager Rathy Begay: Colorado Hined Land Aeclamation DSvisioa Gary Fritz: OSH Albuquerque Pield Office, A244 GENERAL COHMENTS This vas a complete oversight inspection. The HLRD waE notified regarding my schedule and was able to send a reclamation specialist to accompany me for a joint inspection. During this inspection and leadinS up to it, my supervisor, Steve Rathbun, informed me that the HLRD had approved "other treatment facilities" for drainage control on the area that had been reclaimed by Walden Coal. The operator has ceased mining and did propose alternative drainage control for the reclaimed area. In doing eo, HLRD staff vas presented with a proposal and was obligated to consider it for approval. The following narrative is based an my understanding of circumstances leading up to and eventually giving the Division good cause for approving said plan. Negotations for the change in dralnagE control began with the operator proposing to remove all sediment ponds as the area was reclaimed. At that time, the HLRDs' regulations referred to "other treatment facilities" for drainage control but the state did not know what that entailed since it was not defined in their definitions. The operator took the initiative to propose a scenario for drainage control it the form of a series of interlocked terraces to retain runoff on the permit area. Prior to further review of that proposal, the HLRD sent a request to the Attorney General's office for a finding regarding the definition of "other treatment facilities". They wanted to knot if terraces as