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III. COMMENTS - COMPLIANCE <br />Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of <br />observations made during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement <br />actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the <br />enforcement action. <br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Tom Kaldenbach of the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology. <br />Joe Shoemaker represented the operator. With the operator's consent, this report was issued from the Denver <br />office. <br />The ground was covered by one foot of snow. The longwall operation was active approximately midway <br />through panel 15 Right. <br />SIGNS AND MARKERS <br />Topsoil stockpiles were sufficiently marked to prevent damage from snowplowing at the Fish Creek borehole <br />site, the Northwest Mains vent shaft, and the substation on the road leading to the vent shaft. <br />Hvdroloaic Balance <br />The operators records show the Fish Creek borehole has not been pumped since 11/24/03. <br />To determine cumulative hydrologic impacts I measured the electroconductivity (EC) at three locations in <br />Trout Creek and three locations in the Yampa River. I made these measurements the day after the inspection. <br />The measurements were made from county road bridges within afour-hour period. <br />Trout Creek EC - As shown on the attached map, the EC in Trout Creek downstream from the Foidel Creek <br />Mine and Edna Mine was 660 micromhos/cm, significantly below Trout Creek's material damage suspect <br />level of 1,500 micromhos/cm. <br />Yampa River EC - EC in the Yampa River downstream from Trout Creek (at the McGregor bridge) was 290 <br />micromhos/cm, well below the Yampa's material damage suspect level of 1,000 micromhos/cm. The Yampa <br />River was also well below the material damage suspect level of 1,000 micromhos/cm further downstream near <br />Hayden where Ec was 310 micromhos/cm. This location is downstream from the mines in the Trout Creek <br />watershed (Edna, Foidel and part of Seneca II), the Grassy Creek watershed (Yoast and Seneca II), and Sage <br />Creek watersheds (Yoast, Seneca II, and Seneca III. <br />Processin¢ Waste <br />Snow cover limited inspection of the refuse pile. Material is being stockpiled on top of the pile for <br />incorporation into the pile in the Springtime. No problems were evident on the refuse pile. <br />3 <br />