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OF'~O~O. F~~ ~ ~O yr ^- O r '~a~e" Richard D Lamm Governor DATE TO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES David H. Getche5, Execulrve Director MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION DAVID C: SHELTON, Dlreetor September 25, 1985 I Sue Mowry -r~ FROM: Jim Pendleton ~~/~~~~ RE: Blue Ribbon Coal pany's Mine Bench Borrow Area Technical Revision Applicati~ I apologize for the tardiness of this review, caused by my absence on annual leave for the past two weeks. Pursuant to your request, I have reviewed Blue Ribbon Coal Company's technical revision application for a Borrow Pit to provide the cover material for their recently reconstructed mine bench. Unfortunately, I believe the proposed site to be inappropriate for the excavation of a borrow pit. My past visits to the Blue Ribbon Mine Bench have afforded an excellent vantage point for the proposed borrow area. During the past several years, I have photographed a large landslide adjoining the proposed borrow area. To refresh my memory I examined our 1983 color stereographic aerial photography of the proposed borrow site. The entire hillslope adjoining the proposed site appears to be a prehistoric landslide body. Further, the area immediately north of the proposed borrow pit was recently reactivated when U.S. Steel excavated a prospecting drill road across that slope. Several extensional landslide scarps are also visible immediately upslope from the proposed pit site. I am confident that the proposed 8,000 cubic yard excavation would result in an enlargement of the already rejuvenated landslide. It is for this reason that I recommended denial of the proposed borrow pit excavation. In addition, I am relatively certain that at least one of U.S. Steel's subsidence monitoring monuments exists within the proposed borrow pit boundaries. cc: Bob Liddle /ph Doc. No. 3638 423 Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Tel. (303) 866-3567 IIIIIIIIIII II III III