GENERAL48895

• Permit No: C1981018
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 2/9/2005
• Doc Name: Meeting with Scott Wanstedt on Hydrologic Plan at Mine
• From: Jim Stark
• To: Sandy Brown
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman 5[., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
COLORADO
DIVISION OF
MIN&RALS
GEOLOGY
iECLh HATION•MI NING
SAFETY•SC IENCE
INTEROFFICE Bill Owens
Governor
MEMORANDUM Russell George
Executive DirecYOr
Ronald W. Cottony
"f0: Sandy Brown Division Director
~~ Natural Resource Trustee
FROM: Jim Stark.~_~~'"
SUBJECT: Meeting with Scott Wanstedt
DATE: 9 February 2005
On 21 January 2005 Mike Boulay and I met with Scott Wanstedt of Blue Mountain
Energy regarding the hydrologic monitoring plan at the Deserado Mine. The main focus
of the meeting was to determine if BME's current monitoring plan is sufficient for a
planned Permit Revision to expand the mine workings and permit boundary several
thousand acres and, if not, what measures need to be implemented to make the plan
acceptable.
It was determined that BME's current monitoring plan is sufficient for their current
operations and the two small (approximately 160 acres) Permit Revisions they are
planning on submitting to complete two longwall panels. BME is currently monitoring
above, within and below the coal seam they are mining (the B seam). It was decided that
one additional well (with two or three separate completions) is needed for the proposed
large expansion.
The new well(s) will probably be a converted exploration hole, although this has not yet
been determined. The two required wells would be above and within the coal seam. The
third, the completion below the coal seam, could be eliminated if BME can demonstrate
that there have, to date, been no impacts to the hydrologic balance below the coal seam.
We decided that if BME wished to pursue this route (not monitoring below the coal
seam) they would need to provide a demonstration, satisfactory to the Division, that no
hydrologic impacts have occurred below the coal seam and submit their findings as a
Technical Revision.
It was also decided that if BME was able to successfully demonstrate that there are no
hydrologic impacts below the coal seam, they could, in the same Technical Revision,
request that the monitoring of the wells completed below the coal seam be reduced or
discontinued. This "puts the ball in BME's court" as to what they will do.
Office of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey