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STATE OF COLORADO DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Department of Natural Resources 7373 Sherman St., Room 275 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 866-3567 FAX: (303) 832-8106 DATE: February 11, 2004 ~ \ COLORADO DIVISION O F MINERALS GEOLOGY RfCLAM ATION•MINING SAFETY•SCIFNCE TO: Steve Renner 7sill ovens 1 Governor FROM: Joe Dudash r~d ~ Russell George IVi Executive DireCOr Ronald W. Cattany RE: Bear No. 3 Mme, ermit No. C-81-033, Bear Coal Co., Underground MBuei~il+eeor Natursl Resource Trustee On February 2, 2004, Sandy Brown and I met with two representatives from the Beaz Coal Company (BCC), William A. Bear, Senior and Daniel Beaz, in order to discuss the underground mine fire situation that is occurring in the vicinity of the Beaz No. 3 Mine. As you aze 7iwaze, in a letter to BCC dated November 21, 2003, the Division had requested information concerning historical coal combustion events at this site as well as information on the sealing of the Beaz No. 3 Mine portals. As a note, all of the letters, maps and data that are referred to in this memo aze attached. At the meeting, BCC discussed the history of the Beaz No. 3 Mine as well as that of the previous mine, the Edwards (Clazk) Mine. BCC went onto describe the method used to seal the Beaz No. 3 Mine portals. In support of their presentation, BCC provided a letter that explained the history of the mine azea as well as copies of letters, maps, data and photographs that documented this history. As shown on the Edwazds Mine B-seam Map (dated December 5, 1949), the Edwazds (Clazk) Mine began mining operations sometime in the late 1940's. Both the B-seam and the C-seam were mined, with portals constructed at both coal seam levels. However, the operator dug several shafts (called raises) from the B-seam workings up to the C-seam workings so that coal that was mined in the C- seam could be dropped down to the B-seam level for easier transport out of the mine. The extent of the old B-seam mine workings of the Edwazds (Clark) is depicted on Map 9A, Beaz No. 3 B-seam Mine Plan. The C-seam mine workings of the Edwazds (Clazk) Mine aze shown on the two sheets entitled Edwazds Mine C-seam Mine Workings. The shafts (raises) from the B-seam up to the C-seam aze depicted on the Edwazds Mine B-seam Map (dated December 5, 1949) and referenced in the last paragraph of the State Coal Mine Inspection Department letter dated July 11, 1958. According to BCC, due to combustion problems in the B-seam workings, the operator was forced to stop mining coal in the B-seam and Lnine,}ust the C-seam coal. The underground combustion problems in the Edwards (Clazk) Mine B-seam workings were first documented in 1954. Copies of letters documenting combustion events in 1954 and 1958 were provided by BCC. The Edwazds (Clazk) Mine closed in 1964. When BCC started the Beaz No. 3 Mine in the early 1980's, the operator decided to use the old Edwazds (Clark) Mine C-seam portals for access to the C-seam coal, rather than construct their own portals. The Beaz No. 3 Mine startup involved cleaning up the cave-ins in the former C-seam mains of the Edwards (Clark) Mine that drove south for 2500 feet. Small side panels in the C-seam mains were mined out by BCC in order to provide storage places for disposal of the cave-in material. After they were filled in, these side storage areas were sealed, as shown on the Bear No. 3 B-seam Final Mine Map. No other mining in the Edwards (Clazk) Mine was done by BCC, although one of the shafts from Office of Office of Colorado lined Land Reclamation Active and InaRive Mines Geological Survey