HYDRO30004

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 8/16/2002
• Doc Name: Seep Issue
• From: DMG
• To: Bear Coal Company
• Permit Index Doc Type: Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
August 16, 2002
Mr. Daniel E. Bear
Bear Coal Company
P.O. Box 1754
Paonia, Colorado 81428
RE: Seep Issue, Beaz No. 3 Mine, Permit No. C-81-033, Beaz Coal Company
Dear Mr. Bear:
DIVISION OF
MINERALS
GEOLOGY
RECLAMATION
MINING•SAFETY
Bill Owens
Governor
Greg E. Walther
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Acing Division DIreCIOr
The Division has reviewed Bear Coal Company's (BCC) request for release from responsibility
for the seep water that is associated with the slide at the Bear No. 3 Mine. This request came in a
letter with attachments dated May 9, 2000. BCC is contending that the seep water originates from
the historic Edwazds Mine, and not from the Beaz No. 3 Mine. The Division believes that further
documentation needs to be submitted to support BCC's contention. The Division requests that
BCC submit the following additional information:
One plan view map that shows the locations of the Beaz No. 3 Mine portals, the Edwards
Mine portals, the extent of the B-seam and C-seam mining for both mines and the
location of the slide and related seeps.
One cross-section drawing, with backup current and historical photographs where
possible, showing the face slope area of the mine, including the locations of the outcrops
of the B-seam and the C-seam, the locations of the Bear No. 3 Mine and the Edwards
Mine portals and the locations of the slide and associated seeps.
3. A comparison of the chemistry and temperature of the mine water that was within or
discharging from the Beaz No. 3 Mine to that of the water coming out of the seeps.
4. A presentation of the conductivity and chemistry data of the ground water from wells
AA-1 and AA-3, from baseline to the most recent values.
5. A discussion of why the rise in conductivity in well AA-1 as compazed to that of well
AA-3 could not be explained in another way, such as the groundwater being degraded as
it moves through the alluvium beneath the mine site or degradation from the effects of the
coal stockpile that was located near AA-1.