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2.05 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR SURFACE OR UNDERGROUND MINING <br />• ACTIVITIES -- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATION AND <br />RECLAMATION PLANS <br />The text contained in section 2.05 is largely obsolete since the Bear No. 3 Mine is <br />in permanent cessation. It is difficult to revise approximately 70 pages without <br />losing some valuable historical information. The purpose of the following discussion <br />is to describe the status of the mine as of the revision date at the bottom of the <br />page. This discussion will assist the reader of this document to understand the <br />portions of this section that are no longer applicable to the operation. <br />Mine Status <br />The Bear No. 3 Mine operated from 1982 until November 9, 1996 when mining <br />ceased. The mine portals were sealed on January 9, 1997. All of the surface <br />facilities except the office have been dismantled and removed from the site. The <br />portals were backfilled and the portal area recontoured during June and July 1997. <br />The lower main site was graded, topsoiled and seeded during 1998. There is one <br />sediment pond and one passive water treatment pond on site. The office remains <br />on site in accordance with the approved post mining land use which is undeveloped <br />lands and limited residential use. <br />Slide <br />The slide west of the reclaimed portals was first noticed in June 1997 with activity <br />on the west side where rocks were raveling into the river. The slide progressed from <br />west to east. Slide activity increased in October with cracks noted west of the C- <br />Seam portals. On November 14th and 15th the slide activity increased dramati- <br />cally. On November 17th water emerged from an area riear the old Edwards mike <br />portal along the eastern slide scarp. The Operator's discharge permit provides for <br />the discharge of water directly to the North Fork of the Gunnison River through <br />Outfall 001. Therefore, Bear was prepared to handle the spring water discharge <br />which emerged on November 17, 1997. The slide destroyed monitoring well AA1. <br />Initially the Operator believed the water emerging from the slide was mine water <br />discharge. Mountain Coal Company convinced the DMG and the Operator that the <br />water emerging from the slide was not water from Mountain Coal Company's <br />operation. Therefore, the Operator suspects the water is not mine water but spring <br />water. This water may have been present for many years and probably contributed <br />to the degradation of monitoring well AA1. See discussion in Section 2.05.6(3). <br /> <br />M~ ~5 <br />(/2 N -O y~ <br />l~PPRovE.D it/14~o3 <br />2.05 - i 1 /03 <br />