REP50143

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 4/3/2007
• Doc Name: 2005 AHR Review Letter
• From: DRMS
• To: Bear Coal Company, Inc.
• Annual Report Year: 2005
• Permit Index Doc Type: Hydrology Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1373 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Apri13, 2007
Mr. Daniel E. Bear
Bear Coal Company
P.O. Box 1754
Paonia, Colorado 81428
RE: Bear No. 3 Mine, Permit No. C-81-033, Bear Coal Company
2005 Annual Hydrology Report, Adequacy Review
Deaz Mr. Bear:
COLORADO
DIVISION OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
- &-
SAFETY
Bill Riner, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Direttor
Natural Resouo:e Trustee
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) has finished its adequacy
review of the Bear No. 3 Mine 2005 Annual Hydrology Report (AHR) submitted by the Bear
Coal Company (BCC). The sampling results that are presented in the report are consistent with
results submitted in earlier AHRs. No trends suggesting degradation of the hydrologic regime are
evident. In addition, the hydrologic data trends are consistent with the predictions stated in the
Probable Hydrologic Consequences section of the permit application.
However, there aze several notable omissions in the required hydrologic sampling for 2005.
Review of the 2006 AHR shows that sampling has resumed for the most part and that the lack of
some sampling during 2005 was an anomaly. Please ensure that al] sampling requirements are
met.
As noted on page 2 of the 2005 AHR, and as was also the case in 2004, not enough water
was available during the fourth quarter to do full suite analyses for alluvial wells AA-1
and AA-3. This is also the case for 2006, as stated in the 2006 AHR. BCC must ensure
that these sampling requirements are met. It would appear that BCC needs to sample the
two alluvial wells for the full suite analyses during an earlier quarter so that enough water
would be available for sampling.
2. The second and third quarter field sampling was not done for alluvial wells AA-1 and
AA-3. However, sampling was resumed for the most part in 2006, as shown in the 2006
AHR.
3. The North Fork of the Gunnison River was not sampled in June for field and lab
parameters, nor was it sampled in August for a full suite analysis. The Division notes that
the required sampling frequency for the North Fork of the Gunnison was followed in
2006, as reported in the 2006 AHR.
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