INSPEC45183

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Date: 7/31/2001
• Doc Name: OSM MINE SITE EVALUATION STATE PROGRAM
• Inspection Date: 7/11/2001
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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July 16, 2001
National King Coal
4424 County Road 120
Hesperus, CO 81326
King Coal Mine
Partial, Special focus inspection
July 11, 2001
Participants:
Tom Bird, National King Coal
Harry Ranney, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG)
Howard Strand, Office of Surface Mining (OSM)
Henry Austin, OSM
I participated in a partial inspection of the King Coa] Mine on July 11, 2001, with the above participants.
The DMG / OSM Oversight Team selected this mine and other active underground mines
for a special focus evaluation during the 2001 evaluation year. The inspection focused on
"Public Participation: Public Notice of Underground Mining Schedule". Mr. Ranney also
conducted a complete inspection and we accompanied him. Weather conditions were hot
and dry, and ground conditions were dry throughout the site.
Our mine office records review included review of the public notice of the underground mining
schedule. We reviewed approximately aten-year period at the mine, 1991 to 2001. We confirmed the
public notices required by comparison of the complete underground mine development map against the
surface ownership map in the approved DMG permit to determine which surface landowners were
affected during the ten year period. The permittee's records contained the required public notices for all
the surface landowners affected during the above period. All the notices were dated at least six months
before mining under the respective landowner, and a]] notices provided a mining schedule timeframe as
required by the approved Colorado regulatory program. The following surface landowners were
notified: Huntington Ranches (1991 & 1997), State of Colorado/ State Land Board (1994), Ute
Mountain Ute Tribe (1994), and Crawford Ranch (1999). These surface landowners represent all
landowners affected during the period noted above. The permittee complies with Colorado Rule 4.20.2.
This concluded our special focus inspection.
As noted, we accompanied Mr. Ranney on his complete inspection. We did not observe
any off site impacts during our field inspection of the mine. Al] areas inspected were well
maintained. Mr. Ranney pointed out one bypass culvert outlet that should be cleaned out
to ensure it will function as designed. We did not participate in the additional record
review conducted by Mr. Ranney.
Please address any questions concerning this report to Henry Austin at haust;[e-mail]
or to [phone] X1466.