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The Colorado Inactive Mines Program is requesting that the Office of Surface Mining <br />Reclamation and Enforcement approve a Civil Penalty Grant Request in the amount of <br />$35,000.00 in order that final reclamation of the bond revoked Fruita Number 1 and 2 <br />Mines may be completed. <br />History <br />The Fruita Number 1 and 2 Mines were operated under both an exploration and an <br />Interim Program permit. A reclamation bond had been submitted to the Colorado <br />regulatory program. The operator of the site performed a substantial amount of site <br />reclamation, and as a result a portion of the bond was returned to the operator as provided <br />for in the Rules and Regulations for Coal Mining in Colorado. Subsequently, the <br />Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board forfeited the remaining reclamation bond. <br />This site, which was once fairly remote, is now adjacent to a renowned mountain biking <br />trail. Recreational use of the area has increased dramatically, and the area now sees <br />virtually year -round use. The high use and visibility of the Fruita Number 1 and 2 Mines <br />vicinity lends a sense of urgency in addressing the environmental and safety hazards at <br />the site. <br />Reclamation History <br />The Fruita Number 1 and 2 Mines was a relatively small operation located at the foot of <br />the Bookcliffs Range in western Mesa County, Colorado. The mine was primarily <br />developed within a steep, relatively narrow box canyon on the flank of the Bookcliffs. <br />Mine entries were driven at two elevations within the canyon. The mine entries were <br />connected to a lower operations area, and then to an adjacent county road by a relatively <br />steep haul road. <br />The former operator of the site performed building demolition, backfilling and grading <br />and revegetation operations prior to bond forfeiture. All but $36,000 of the original bond <br />was returned to the operator following completion of this work prior to bond forfeiture. <br />Following bond forfeiture in 1994, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(DRMS) conducted three separate reclamation projects at the site, including reclamation <br />maintenance and additional revegetation work. Each of these projects was funded by the <br />revoked bond. The most significant work was completed by DRMS in 2000. <br />In 1997, monsoonal weather patterns caused an unusually heavy rainstorm to occur in the <br />Bookcliffs. Localized flooding occurred throughout the area, including at the Fruita <br />Mines. <br />The flooding caused substantial damage to many portions of the reclaimed mine site. In <br />order to remedy future site drainage problems, a large drainage diversion channel was <br />constructed by DRMS in 2000 to transport flood waters through steeper portions of the <br />reclaimed mine to an adjacent ephemeral drainage. Without the channel, there would be <br />