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Seneca Il-W - Phase I Bond Release (SL-3) <br />Seneca Coal Co. <br />Permit Number: C-1982-057 <br />Seneca Coal Company <br />P.O. Box 670 <br />Hayden, CO 81639 <br />(970) 276-5217 <br />Seneca II-W Mine, DRMS Permit Number C-82-057 <br />Phase I Bond Release (SL-3) <br />September 21 - September 23, 2010 <br />Participants: <br />Daniel Matthews., Environmental Protection Specialist, DRMS <br />Jennifer- Mailo, BLM <br />Jim Stark, DBMS <br />Roy Karo, Reclamation manager, Peabody CC <br />Jay James, Peabody <br />Christy Hulsman, OSM-DFD <br />Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny to cloudy, warm to moderate temperatures <br />9/21-23/2010 <br />Christy Hulsman <br />DBMS conducted a Phase I bond release inspection on September 21 to September 23, 2010 at the Seneca <br />II-W Mine. The Phase I bond release request apples to 414.0 acres consisting of backfilling, regrading <br />and drainage control primarily in the South Extension Area of the permit, as well as other areas within the <br />permitted disturbed area that were excluded from the SL-2 Phase I bond release. Coal extraction was <br />concluded in December 2005 and the last unit of coal was shipped in January 2006. <br />Within the South Extension area, 384.6 acres are requested for'release. This acreage contains reclaimed <br />pit area, postmining drainage channels (PM-1, IA, IB, 2, 2A, 2C, 21), 2E, 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and <br />6), Haul Road "I" corridor, a portion of Haul Road "J" corridor, a portion of Haul Road "K" and corridor, <br />and Light Use Roads LU-5 and 6. <br />PM-4D will be excluded from this bond release. The channel was added to address a slide that had <br />occurred on undisturbed land east of LU-4. The terrain is very steep and water continues to erode the <br />constructed channel. This area will be completely stabilized before it is eligible for bond release. <br />Additional areas excluded from the SL-3 bond release will be the PM-2A, 2B, 2D, and 2E channels and <br />their surrounding area. A rill and gully survey was conducted after spring runoff and these areas had <br />experienced significant rill and gullying. The reclamation manager is overseeing the repair of these areas. <br />Due to the need for heavy equipment to conduct these repairs, the area is more active than what is desired <br />for Phase I bond release. A section of PM-1, below the outlet of Stock tank T-25, had experienced severe <br />erosion earlier in the summer and the Turf Reinforcement Matting (TRM) that was in the channel had <br />been undercut and compromised. This section was brought to the attention of the reclamation manager <br />and was repaired by the end of the inspection on 9-23-10. This area will be included as part of the SL-3 <br />bond release as planned. All other postmining channels will be eligible for the SL-3 bond release. <br />All other postmining channels appeared stable and functional and are constructed as designed. DRMS <br />inspector Jim Stark walked a majority of the drainages in the South Extension Area with a GPS devise in <br />order to gather information about the final grade and location of the drainage. The data collected will be <br />used to prepare the findings document and DRMS's proposed decision.