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• <br />5.0 MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR 2008 <br />New Elk Coal Company will continue to monitor the site as approved in the permit. <br />Operations were idled in mid-2002 and this status will continue into 2008. New Elk Coal <br />Company has acquired the New Elk Mine operations and permits and plans on starting <br />mine recovery in 2008 with the intent to re-open the mine. Reopening the mine will <br />require dewatering the flooded mine workings prior to reentry. Water from the mine will <br />be pumped from the East portal airshaft to water treatment pond 001 and then discharged <br />into the Purgatoire River. A permit revision for pond construction was approved by <br />DMRS. Pond construction was completed in 2007. Water samples collected from NEW- <br />2 and NEW-4 indicate that the discharge should meet current NPDES permit limitations. <br />Reclamation of obsolete surface facilities and maintenance of environmental control <br />facilities was initiated in late 2002 and continued through 2007. The railroad and unit <br />train loadout were removed from the site during 2003. Demolition and removal of West <br />Portal Facilities was completed during 2005. Revegetation of most of the West Portal <br />sites was completed during 2006. The operational surface of the refuse disposal area was <br />recontoured in 2004 to reduce the sediment load reporting to Pond 8. Clean-out of Pond <br />8 occurred intermittently during 2005 with interludes necessary to allow for periodic <br />dewatering of the pond. Clean-out was completed into 2006. Clean-out of Pond 7 was <br />also completed in 2006. Ponds will be surveyed during 2008 to document sediment <br />levels and schedule clean-out if required. <br />• Other monitoring activities will continue as required by the approved plan. <br />• <br />46