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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 L/ Q [• O ]~ D Q <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 DIVISION O F <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 IVt 1 N &1ZA 1, $ <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 G E O 1. O G Y <br /> 0.EC LANATIOMNINING <br /> SAFETY•SCIENCE <br />DATE: May 12, 2004 ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ D <br />~i <br />Bill Owens <br /> Governor <br />TO: Steve Renner Greg E, Watcher <br /> Executive DI[eC(Of <br /> Ronald W. Cattany <br />FROM: Joe Dudash <br />~ Di~isian Do-ector <br />~ Natural Resource Trustee <br />RE: Bear No. 3 Mine, Permit No. C-81-033, Bear Coal Co., <br />Underground Mine Fire <br />We received your memo, dated April 13, 2004, conceming the underground mine fire at the Bear No. 3 <br />Mine location. Thanks for your review of this complex issue. <br />In your memo, you concluded that the Inactive Mines Program is unable to work on this site because <br />no specific scientific data exists to determine the exact location of the underground mine fire. To quote <br />from your memo, "If new information is developed that is sufficient to specifically demonstrate that <br />the fire exists in a portion of the Edwards/Clark mine that was not impacted by post-August, 1977 coal <br />mining activities, we would be in a position to include the site in the inventory." <br />We do have one basic question concerning how to proceed with this issue. Since the Bear No. 3 Mine <br />portals have been backfilled and sealed, with only drain pipes coming out of the seals, what <br />information can the operator obtain, and how can they obtain it, to prove their contention that the fire is <br />in the pre-law Edwards/Clazk Mine and not in the Bear No. 3 Mine? If you know of any such method, <br />or know a contact who could provide such information, we would appreciate hearing from you. <br />We have not passed on the information contained in your memo to the operator yet since we are still <br />reviewing our options, especially since Bear Coal Company has applied for a Phase One bond release. <br />cc: Sandy Brown <br />c:/word/bear3/mine fire memo2 <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey <br />