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STATE OF COLORADO DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman St, Room 215 C O L D RA D O Denver, Colorado 80203 n t v t s 1 o N o r Phone: (303) 866-3567 MINERAL S FAX: (303) 832$106 GEOLOGY REC LAMATION•MINING SAFETY•ECIENCE June 18, 2004 Bill Owens Governor Mr. Daniel Bear Russell George Executive Director 17036 Opal Hill Drive Ronald W. Cattany Parker CO 80134 Division Director , Natural Resource Trustee RE: Beaz No. 3 Mine, Permit No. C-1981-033, Beaz Coal Company Underground Mine Fire Dear Mr. Beaz: The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (Division) appreciates meeting with you and William Bear, Sr. on February 2, 2004 concerning the underground mine fire at the Bear No. 3/Edwazds/Clazk mine site. We appreciate your efforts in gathering and presenting your information to the Division concerning this complex issue. We presented your information to Steve Renner of the Division's Inactive Mines Program (IMP) in Grand Junction. Because Mr. Renner has experience in underground mine fires, we asked him to , evaluate this situation and determine if the IMP could add this underground mine fire to their inventory of coal related hazazds at Colorado abandoned mine sites. We also asked him to suggest possible mitigation methods that could be employed to reduce any harmful effects from the mine fire. As you know, Mr. Renner had visited the site on October 27, 2003 and performed a preliminary investigation. Mr. Renner examined the information that you had provided to the Division, as well as the information he had obtained at the mine site. His conclusion is that there is not enough specific, scientific data on hand that could be used to locate the position of the underground mine fire. Bylaw, in order to have this mine fire situafion added to the IMP inventory, it must be conclusively determined that the mine fire is located in mine workings that have not been affected by mining operations performed after August of 1977. If any new information sheds light on the exact location of the mine fire, the IMP would reevaluate the possibility of inclusion of the underground mine fire to their inventory. Mr. Renner suggested two possible ways of obtaining this additional information. First, there may be chemical differences in the signature hydrocazbons released in the combustion of the B-seam coal as opposed to that of the C-seam coal. The gases coming out of the vents at the mine site could be analyzed and compazed with laboratory analyses of the combustion gases obtained from the separate combustion of a B-seam coal sample and a C-seam coal sample. Second, although considerably more costly, holes could be drilled into the mine to find out where the fire is located. Office of Office of Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey