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<br />Marr Mine Bond Release, ne. 2 <br />We proceeded to the reclaimed Pit 1 area. Again, reclaimed highwall slopes are stable <br />with the exception of the north /northeast facing slope which had experienced erosion <br />through the contour furrows due to excessive wind blown snow pack and subsequent <br />melting /runoff. Kerr has reconstructed and enlarged the furrows on this slope. The small <br />areas impacted for this work are not yet stable, and we discussed leaving this area out of <br />the requested Phase II bond release acreage. In addition, another azea which was <br />impacted by erosion repair work in the watershed south /east and adjacent to the-above <br />was also inspected, and we discussed similar treatment for this small area (excluding it <br />from the requested release acreage). Revegetation cover appeared adequate in the Pit 1 <br />area also, but species diversity and particularly shrub establishment is not yet as <br />successful as the 720 Pit. The major drainway flowing north from Pit 1 is stable and the <br />county road ditches are well maintained in this area. The BLM surface ownership at the <br />Marr Mine is in the Pit 1 area and BLM participants did not express any major concerns <br />during the inspection. I described the proposed exclusion of the erosion mitigation areas <br />from the release acreage to the BLM participants. This concluded the Marr mine <br />inspection. <br />We proceeded to the Kerr Loadout Area in Walden. One shop building has been <br />approved for retention by DMG. This area was reclaimed in 1999 and vegetation is just <br />beginning to establish. No significant erosion was evident throughout the azea. The <br />reclaimed area is essentially level. The beam along the south edge of the reclaimed azea <br />has been approved by DMG for permanent retention. The sediment pond has not been <br />proposed for permanent retention, but we discussed how this is a very suitable site for <br />retention of this pond. Inspection participants indicated there has been no adverse <br />comment on the reclaimed azea from the adjacent Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge <br />administrators; and there are no wetland mitigation issues to consider at this time through <br />the Army Corps of Engineers. Topsoil depths sampled appeared to meet permit <br />requirements. <br />DMG participants indicated they had reviewed both the revegetation cover sampling data <br />and the SEDCAD + demonstrations of water quality provided by Kerr in the bond release <br />application for the reclaimed areas, and that both met or exceeded approved permit <br />requirements and applicable regulatory standards for vegetation cover and water quality. <br />OSM is currently reviewing the revegetation cover sampling data as indicated above. <br />Bond amounts requested for release appear to meet regulatory requirements. Additional <br />information regazding requested release amounts appears in the Kerr Coal Co. May 16 <br />response to DMG's application deficiency comments. OSM is reviewing this information <br />that was provided during the inspection. <br />This concluded the inspection. Please provide any comments concerning this report to <br />Henry Austin at haustin@osmre.eov or to (303) 844-1400 X1466. <br />