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. ~- III IIIIIIIIIIIII III 999 STATE OF COLORADO PIVISIAN AF MINERALS ANO GEOLOGY pepantnep! of Ndtu/dl Resources 131 3 Sherman St., Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 D I v l s l O u D F Phone: 13031 866 3 567 MINERAL S FAX: (3031 832-8106 & GEOLOGY April 19,2000 MENINGMS rFETY Bil I Owens Mr. Daniel Bear c1ve`"°` Bear Coal Company Greg E. Walther Etecmive Director 17036 Opal Hill Drive Michael B. Long Pazker. CO 80134 Division Direcror Deaz Mr. Bear: The Division has received your letter of April 6, 2000, concerning the possible effects on the Bear III mine from water used to extinguish the fire up-dip from the Beaz III workings. We appreciate your concern about the matter. Mountain Coal Company is taking steps to control the combustion at the direction of, and in cooperation with the Mine Safety and Health Administration. As it has done in similar instances in the past, The Division of Minerals and Geology has defected formal approval of any mine permit changes until the emergency situation at the mine is under control. The combustion appears to have been located in an area of cross-cuts. Consequently, the azea is relatively small and can hopefully be isolated from the longwall panels. It has been the strategy of Mountain Coal Company to keep the area of combustion isolated in this area and to seal that area off from the remainder of the mine by pumping grout into the area. Then, a relatively smaller volume of water can successfiilly extinguish the combustion. This water should be mostly retained within the area sealed off by the grout. It is our understanding that this'effort appears to have been successful. Water that escapes from the area where it was introduced would probably flow into the existing NW panels sealed sump azea where, as you know, water is already stored prior to release. It is our understanding that the water pumped in to fight the fire amounts to about 12% of the volume of the sump. This sump azea is already being discharged, with the water released into Lone Pine Gulch. Anew system is nearly ready to come on line which will discharge this water through a finishing pond into Sylvester Gulch. The Division feels that these measures will prevent abuild-up of head in the sump azea which might cause problems. Mountain Coal Company is monitoring the quantity and quality of outflow from these sumps and will continue to do so at an increased frequency.