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November 8, 2001 <br />Colorado Yampa Coal Company (CYCC) <br />29515 Routt County Rd. #27 <br />Oak Creek, CO 80467 <br />Eckman Park Mine & Mine 1 <br />Phase III bond release inspection <br />November 2, 2001 <br />Participants: <br />Rick Mills, CYCC <br />Jim Chubrilo, Colorado Public Health & Environment <br />Water Quality Control Division <br />Dan Hernandez, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) <br />Tom Kaldenbach, DMG <br />Henry Austin, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) <br />I participated in a Phase III bond release inspection of the above mine areas. Specific <br />acreages and bond amounts subject to release are documented in CYCC's bond release <br />application dated October 16, 2001, and will be more specifically documented by OSM <br />during our concurrence correspondence to conclude the bond release process. The <br />application appears to meet all the information requirements found at Colorado <br />Rule 3.03.2. OSM is currently reviewing the phase III revegetation success sampling <br />information for years 2000 and 2001 provided in the application, and will provide our <br />findings to DMG. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Craig, CO, was <br />notified of this inspection and elected not to participate. The BLM stated they were <br />satisfied with reclamation on the mines and would be prepared to provide a letter of <br />concurrence, after a review of the DMG proposed decision document for this release. I <br />also participated in the phase I and II bond release inspections at these mines. Weather <br />conditions during this inspection were unseasonably warm and ground conditions were <br />extremely dry. <br />Mr. Kaldenbach began the inspection by leading discussions of the phase III bond release <br />process, and we all discussed water quality issues, permanent water impoundment <br />retention, and NPDES water monitoring criteria with Mr. Chubrilo. This phase III <br />release, if approved, would eventually allow for eliminating the current NPDES outfalls <br />at Ponds A and H, if discharges from these permanent water impoundments meet CO/ <br />Division of Water Quality criteria. <br />We began the field inspection at Mine 1. We walked representative areas at all our stops <br />during the inspection that reflected the various slopes, drainages, vegetation types, spoil <br />springs, and permanent water features on the reclaimed areas. No excessive erosion was <br />evident on Mine 1, and Pond H was holding water but well below discharge level. <br />