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terminated on January 12, 1996 and March 21, 1996, respectively. All stipulations not listed below <br />have been resolved. <br />Stipulation No. 6 <br />The permittee will submit to the Division an annual hydrologic report. This report shall include <br />an analysis of all hydrologic data gathered during the year, an assessment of the hydrologic <br />impacts of mining during the year, and an assessment of the projected hydrologic impacts of <br />mining in the following year. This report shall assess the impacts of mining on the quality and <br />quantity of water in surface streams, springs, groundwater aquifers, mine inflow, and mine <br />dischazges. <br />Summary <br />The Review Process <br />The Bear Coal Company operation currently consists of one inactive underground mine, the Beaz No. <br />3 Mine. Bear Coal Company used to operate two other underground coal mines, the Bear No. 1 Mine <br />and the Bear No. 2 Mine. The Bear No. 1 and No. 2 Mines operated until 1981. Reclamation <br />operations were conducted in 1982 and 1983. The application for Phase I, II and III bond release at <br />the Bear No. 1 and Bear No. 2 Mines was received at the Division on May 2, 1994. After the <br />required notifications of the bond release request to the public, mine site landowners and the <br />appropriate governmental agencies, the Division conducted two bond release inspections. During the <br />first inspection on August 3, 1994, the Division brought up several issues with the reclamation work. <br />A second bond release inspection, held on November 20, 1997, verified the resolution of those <br />remaining issues. On December 15, 1997, the Division made its proposed decision to approve the <br />Phase I, II and II bond release at the Bear No. 1 and the Beaz No. 2 Mines. However, Mountain Coal <br />Company (MCC) filed an objection to the proposed decision. A spring of unknown origin was <br />dischazging near the old Edwazds Mine portal at the Bear No. 3 Mine site and MCC was concerned <br />that similar water would flood the Bear No. 1 and Bear No. 2 Mine workings and exit the portals. <br />The Division decided to suspend the proposed decision for two yeazs, in which time, no similaz mine <br />flow was observed at or near the Bear No. 1 and Beaz No. 2 sites. Therefore, The Division reissued <br />its proposed decision to approve the bond release on November 15, 1999. The proposed decision <br />became final after the required 30 day comment period. There was no liability reduction associated <br />with this bond release. <br />On November 11, 1996, Bear Coal Company permanently ceased all mining operations at the Beaz <br />No. 3 Mine due to geologic conditions encountered throughout the mine. The status of the Beaz No. <br />3 Mine is "inactive." All three portals at the Bear No. 3 Mine have been sealed and have drainage <br />pipes installed. The mine benches and bench access roads have been backfilled and graded. The <br />mine fan, portal bench transfers, conveyor structure, stacking tube and miscellaneous mine <br />equipment and debris have been removed. The mine office building remains. The disturbed area has <br />been reseeded. A sedimentation pond and a spring water treatment pond also are on site. <br />2 <br />