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WEST MINE <br />The West Mine was constructed in 1986 when a mine fire closed the main portals at the East Mine. The <br />mine site is accessed by way of an upgraded and widened public road that leads from the Stevens Gulch <br />road into the East Roatcap Creek watershed. The West Mine consists of two areas; the West Mine portal <br />bench and the West Mine fan site. The West Mine portal bench was accessed over a haul road that came <br />off of the public road. A light use road accessed the West Mine fan site from the same public road. A <br />second light use road connects the West Mine fan site with the West Mine portal bench area. <br />WEST MINE -PORTAL BENCH <br />The June 10, 2003 inspection began at the West Mine portal bench, where BRL had requested bond <br />release for structural demolition and backfilling and grading work. Although the entire West Mine portal <br />bench area was backfilled and graded, only the upper area is included in the bond release request. The <br />upper area includes the backfilled and graded portal bench and the backfilled and graded haul road <br />leading from the portal bench to the public road. The lower area contains the two sedimentation ponds <br />and the underlying East Roatcap Creek culvert. Once the remaining upper area has sufficient vegetative <br />cover to stabilize erosion, additional reclamation work will be performed at the lower area. This <br />additional work includes the removal of the East Roatcap Creek culvert and the two sediment ponds and <br />additional backfilling and grading work to achieve approximate original contour. <br />All superstructures were demolished and removed for salvage from the West Mine portal bench area. <br />These superstructures included the shop building, rock dust bin, substation, fuel station and motor control <br />facilities. The associated concrete footings, slabs, walls and floors were broken up and buried in place <br />with more than four feet of cover. The three portal adits were sealed with concrete block seals placed l50 <br />feet in from the adit entrance and then backfilled with 150 feet of compacted non-combustible material. In <br />their letter dated December 17, 2003, BRL stated that MSHA does not issue approval letters relating to <br />the sealing of portals, adits or shafts. However, the Division has observed enough phases of the sealing <br />procedures during normal monthly inspections to conclude that the mine opening seals are in compliance. <br />BRL reestablished the section of the East Roatcap Creek light use road that was eliminated by the <br />construction of the West Mine portal bench. The light use road is located on the east side of East Roatcap <br />Creek. However, as requested by the BLM in their letter dated December 16, 2003, the road will not be <br />connected to the upper "Slough" road. <br />In the Division's adequacy review letter dated January 6, 2003, the Division requested documentation of <br />the slope stability factor of safety for the backfilled and graded area at the West Mine portal bench. BRL <br />submitted the requested stability report in Technical Revision No. 42. The report showed that the factor of <br />safety met or exceeded 1.3. The revision was approved by the Division. <br />During the field inspection, the as-built contour map provided by BRL in the submittal dated November <br />5, 2002 was compared to the approved reclamation contour map, Sheet 9 of 10 of the Golder Associates <br />report found in Volume 6A of the permit application. The latter map also showed the pre-mining contours <br />of the disturbed area. This comparison showed that the as-built contours and cross-sections of the <br />backfilled and graded area closely resemble the contours and cross-sections presented in the approved <br />plan. There was an even closer resemblance between the as-built contours and the pre-mining contours, <br />with the reconstruction of the drainage down the middle of the area. <br />Field inspection, along with the comparison of the as-built map with the approved reclamation contour <br />map, showed that approximate original contour was achieved with the backfilling and grading work. The <br />reclaimed area blends in with the surrounding undisturbed area. The original drainage configuration was <br />