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Page 1 of 3 <br />Gorham, Kent <br />From: Gorham, Kent <br />Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 2:46 PM <br />To: Hernandez, Daniel <br />Subject: RE: Golden Eagle Bond Release Items <br />We're not that close to a decision but I have been working on the findings. While I can't specifically answer all of <br />the 18 questions you have posed, I can generally provide an update on each of the nine categories. <br />• Termination of Water Monitoring/Termination of Submittal of AHRs: 2-)13167 t?v-e f? ,k 54y <br />Water monitoring has been progressively reduced through permitting over the years since the mine went into <br />permanent cessation. Annual review and these revisions provide the basis for termination prior to final bond <br />release. Of particular interest and importance was the flooding of the workings and it's potential relationship to <br />the local methane seeps. Water monitoring of the mine workings continued during the entire revegetation liability <br />period. The findings document will detail the results of water monitoring and any impacts, or lack of, due to <br />mining. Groundwater levels have likely been altered to some extent by coal bed methane activity that is, abundant <br />in the permit and adjacent area. <br />• Reclamation of Water Monitoring Wells: <br />Yes, there are wells that need to be abandoned which is one thing holding up any approval in the short term. <br />Other wells will remain under bond as apparently they may have some usefulness to New Elk Coal Company and <br />any future mining of the Maxwell coal reserve. Basin (NECC) has requested that these wells not be part of the <br />bond release application. <br />• "Pollution": <br />This will be covered in the findings. <br />• Groundwater Point of Compliance: <br />The mine addressed the POC and the Division determined that a POC was not necessary. The currently <br />approved PAP covers this. <br />• Federal Lands: <br />Yes, north of the highway is a 40 acre piece of Federal coal. The OSM and the BLM provided concurrence on <br />SL-01 and SL-02 and will likely need to do the same for SL-06. <br />• Release of Liability of Surface Areas Overlying Underground Coal Mine Workings: <br />The affected area will reduce down to 1.2 acres, a reduction of 707.65 acres. <br />• OSM Concurrence: <br />I'll inform the same office that I used for previous bond releases. <br />• Remaining Reclamation Liability/Inspection Frequency: <br />1.2 acres at the NW-1(Tatum) vent shaft. I don't currently have a bond number but will likely request Stark's <br />assistance to calculate. No Phase II has been granted at the NW-1 vent due to the short time the area has been <br />reseeded. <br />6/20/2008