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5.0 MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR 2007 • Picketwire will continue to monitor the site as approved in the permit. Operations were idled in mid-2002 and this status will continue into 2007. New Elk Coal Company is in the process of acquiring the New Elk Mine operations and permits and plans on starting mine recovery in 2006 with the intent to re-open the mine. Reopening the mine will require dewatering the flooded mine workings prior to reentry. Water from the mine will be pumped from the East portal airshaft to a water treatment pond and then dischazged into the Purgatoire River. A pernrit revision for pond construction has been submitted to DMRS. Construction is planned for early 2007. Water samples collected from NEW-2 and NEW-4 indicate that the dischazge should meet NPDES perrnit limitations. Prior to initiating pumping, additional samples will be collected from NEW-2 in 2006. A list of sample pazameters is included with this report as Table 5.0-1. Reclamation of obsolete surface facilities and maintenance of environmental control facilities was initiated in late 2002 and continued through 2006. Additional azeas not required for future operations will be reclaimed during 2007. The raikoad and unit train loadout were removed from the site during 2003. Demolition and removal of West Portal Facilities was completed during 2005. Revegetation of most of the West Portal sites was completed during 2006. Additional seeding is planned for 2007. The operational surface of the refuse disposal area was recontoured in 2004 to reduce the sediment load reporting to Pond 8. Clean-0ut occurred internrittently during 2005 with interludes necessary to • allow for periodic dewatering of the pond. Clean-out was completed into 2006. Clean- out of Pond 7 was also completed in 2006. No pond clean-out is planned for 2007 Other monitoring activities will continue as required by the approved plan. 44