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Blue Flame Mine <br />Bond forfeiture <br />Special focus evaluation <br />3/2/00 <br />Mitchell S. Rollings, 370, OSM <br />Henry Austin, OSM <br />Howazd Strand, OSM <br />Dave Berry, DMG <br />This mine site was selected for evaluation as part of a special focus review for off-site impacts <br />associated with bond forfeiture sites. OSM and DMG will evaluate all bond forfeiture sites in <br />Colorado; there are 14 of these sites. <br />Impacts that are located outside of the area directly disturbed by the mining operation or off of <br />the area authorized by DMG to be disturbed when the operation was active would be considered <br />an off-site impact. OSM Directive REG-8 was used as guidance to determine the kind of <br />resource, and the type and degree of impact for off-site impacts. People, structures, land, and <br />water resources were observed during this evaluation [o determine whether or not an off-site <br />impact has occurred. <br />The observations made during these evaluations will be reported in OSM's Annual Evaluation <br />Summary Report for Colorado for [he evaluation period. This information will be carried <br />forward to future evaluation periods in order to track the number of off-site impacts associated <br />with Colorado bond forfeitures. The record will be adjusted if additional off-site impacts occur, <br />or as DMG continues to reclaim the forfeited properties using bond money, severance tax, etc. <br />Site Conditions <br />Entrance to [his site is just inside the active permit azea for National King Coal. The road <br />parallels a pasture at the bottom of a slope of undisturbed scrub oak. Two access roads that <br />climb from this lower road to the mine area are well reclaimed and include waterbars. There was <br />no evidence of erosion at the outlet of the waterbars. The site appeared to be covered with well <br />established vegetation sufficient to stabilize the soil surface with respect to erosion. Ponds for <br />the azea have been reclaimed. No water was leaving the site, and no off-site impacts were <br />observed. <br />