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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />COLORADO <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 o N OF <br />D <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 RECLAMATION <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 M I N I N G <br /> <br /> SAFETY <br />August 19, 2008 <br /> Bill Ritter, )r. <br />Mr. Michael S. Savage Governor <br />e and Savage Environmental <br />Sava Harris D. Sherman <br />g Executive Director <br />4610 Haystack Drive Ronald W. Cattany <br />Windsor <br />CO 80550 Division Director <br />, Natural Resource Trustee <br />Re: Keenesburg Mine, C1981-028, Vegetation Sampling for 2008 <br />Dear Mr. Savage: <br />The Division received your request, on August 14, 2008, to suspend vegetation sampling at the <br />Keenesburg Mine for 2008. Coors Energy Company had sampled the vegetation on reclaimed parcels in <br />2007 in anticipation of providing data for demonstration of reclamation success. Unfortunately, 2008 has <br />turned out to be an extremely dry year with growing season moisture well below normal. The recent <br />precipitation occurring in mid-August came too late to see much response in the current year's vegetation. <br />Permit section 2.05.4, Page 115e, describes the annual vegetation monitoring to be employed by CEC, but <br />also provides for the operator's discretion based on, "primarily seasonal moisture". Although CEC <br />collected vegetation data in 2007 in accordance with reclamation success demonstration measures, Rule <br />4.015.7(5) provides options for data collection. The operator may provide vegetation data for two out of <br />the last four years of the liability period, and is no longer required to submit data from two consecutive <br />years of sampling for vegetation success demonstration. This rule provides options to accommodate <br />situations like drought, as we have experienced on the Front Range of Colorado so far this 2008 growing <br />season. <br />The Division concurs that it is acceptable to suspend vegetation monitoring at the Keenesburg Mine in <br />2008, and CEC will expect to sample vegetation in 2009 or 2010 in order to document revegetation <br />success. <br />Sincerely, <br />viro ental Protection Specialist II <br />(30 -4944 <br />Cc: Mr. Don MacDonald <br />Coors Energy Company <br />P.O. Box 467 <br />Golden, CO 80402 <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand )unction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines