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,1 <br />two reports for 1991 and the first report for 1992 were apparently <br />not submitted at all. Ms. Johns~n concluded her presentation by <br />noting the extent to which subsidence issues had been a significant <br />concern at the mine since it was originally permitted in the early <br />1980's, and the importance of current survey reports being readily <br />available to the Division staff during permit reviews and in the <br />event of subsidence related emergencies. <br />At this point, Scot Anderson stated that MCC had on various <br />occasions hand delivered subsidence reports to MLR personnel during <br />their mine site inspections, and thus MCC had met the semi-annual <br />reporting requirement although they had no supporting <br />documentation. Kathy Welt explained that the semi-annual report <br />utilized a spreadsheet format which was updated semi-annually to <br />include the most recent survey data. As a result, Ms. Welt does <br />not keep a file of past semi-annual reports at the mine, she merely <br />keeps the most recently updated version which contains all <br />previously reported data. If reports were hand delivered to <br />inspectors rather than mailed to the Division, there would be no <br />record of the submittal at the mine office. MCC provided a <br />notarized affidavit signed by Ms. Welt testifying that during the <br />period in question MCC performed subsidence monitoring surveys <br />twice a year, that Division personnel reviewed the subsidence data <br />during routine inspections, and that during the relevant period she <br />occasionally provided copies of the semi-annual monitoring reports <br />to inspectors from the Division. <br />Ms. Welt did not recall the particular individuals to whom she had <br />hand delivered the reports. Ms. Johnsen, who has been the lead <br />specialist for the West Elk Mine since January, 1992 does not <br />recall having any subsidence reports hand delivered to her at the <br />mine site. There is no record of reports for 1991 or the first <br />semi-annual report for 1992 in the public files of the Division, <br />the lead specialist's files, or in the files of Jim Pendleton who <br />would most likely have been asked to review the reports if <br />submitted. <br />At this point Mr. Anderson brought up the point that due to some <br />apparent oversight which occurred during permit updates, the permit <br />did not specifically require semi-annual report submittal during <br />1992. He acknowledged, however, that the semi-annual reporting was <br />still a regulatory requirement. MCC was apparently aware of the <br />continuing report requirement and was not under the impression that <br />because of the permit update oversight they were no longer required <br />to submit semi-annual reports. <br />Fact of Violation <br />I believe a preponderance of evidence indicates that semi-annual <br />subsidence reports were not submitted to the Division in 1991 or <br />the first half of 1992, and that the NOV was appropriately issued. <br />In the case of the first half report for 1992, I believe that had <br />the report been delivered to Ms. Johns`~n in the field she would <br />have remembered it, and had the report been delivered to another <br />