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Colowyo Mine Partial Oversight Inspection <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) Permit ID # C- 1981 -019 <br />Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 9:00 am — 3 pm <br />Operator: Colowyo Coal Company <br />Participants: <br />Tony Tennyson, Colowyo Mine <br />Janet Binns, DRMS <br />Bobbi Martinez, OSM <br />Howard Strand, OSM <br />Elizabeth Shaeffer, OSM, Badge # 377 <br />Weather conditions: 53 degrees, partly cloudy, brisk <br />Background: <br />The purpose of this oversight inspection was to determine whether DRMS is achieving <br />reclamation success by ensuring that topsoil storage and protection is occurring, or has recently <br />occurred, as required at selected sites in accordance with applicable state laws and regulations <br />and as approved in DRMS permits. The Team set out to verify that topsoil storage and <br />protection is occurring at Colowyo Mine in accordance with the applicable portions of: <br />• Section 34- 33- 120(2)(e) of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act <br />• Rules 4.06.1, 4.06.3, and 4.02.7 of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act <br />• DRMS permit for the Colowyo Mine <br />Additionally, the Team evaluated whether DRMS is effectively ensuring customer service by <br />requiring that blasting notifications be advertised to the public (Rule 4.08.3 of the Regulations of <br />the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining) The goal of proper blasting <br />notification includes ensuring that all residents, or owners of dwellings or other structures <br />located within one -half mile of the permit area, receive written notification at least 30 days <br />before initiation of blasting. Another goal of proper blasting notification is to ensure that the <br />permittee is publishing and maintaining records from the Public Notice of the blasting schedule. <br />Topsoil Storage and Protection Evaluation: <br />The Team chose to observe ten topsoil stockpiles that would offer a representative sample of the <br />different types of stockpiles that occur at the mine. The stockpiles were developed from the late <br />1970's to present. The older stockpiles have well established vegetation which prevents the <br />formation of rills and/or gullies. As a result of the healthy vegetation, heavy grazing by wildlife <br />does not adversely impact the stockpiles. The newer stockpiles will be seeded when the weather <br />conditions improve (at the time of evaluation the conditions were wet and muddy). The mining <br />