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of surface cracks. <br />Methane Seepage in the Vicinity of the Reclaimed Area <br />As previously mentioned in Section III of this written findings, an adjacent landowner, <br />John Toupal, objected to this bond release due to the ongoing investigation of an area <br />of stressed or dead vegetation caused by the presence of methane in the soil within an <br />area of pastureland and rangeland east of the Golden Eagle permit area. This issue <br />was originally investigated as the result of an October 1996 written complaint from the <br />Spanish Peaks/Purgatoire River Soil Conservation District in Las Animas County about <br />an area of stressed and dead vegetation located along Highway 12 in Section 28 T33S, <br />R67W just east of the Golden Eagle mine. At the time, the matter was investigated <br />under the Citizen Complaint process as per the Regulations of the Colorado Mined <br />Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining, Rule 5.02.5. Since that time, soil monitoring <br />and analysis of data collected on a periodic basis has been completed by consultants <br />employed at the expense of Basin Resources. <br />In June 2003, the Division issued an extensive report titled "Findings of the Division of <br />Minerals and Geology, Methane Assessment, Golden Eagle Mine". This document is <br />incorporated by reference. The conclusion of this initial review was that it appeared the <br />sealing of the two coal bed methane wells in the Toupal pasture and the flooding of the <br />underground mine workings past elevation 6758 feet above MSL have both contributed <br />to a reduction in measured soil methane and an increase in oxygen content in the <br />affected area. Therefore, if coal bed methane well sealing and mine flooding appeared <br />May 2000, Toupal pastui