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Mine Site Inspection <br />Mine Name: Yoast Mine <br />Permittee: Seneca Coal Company, LLC <br />Permit ID#: C- 1994 -082 <br />Inspection Date: August 8, 2012 10:00 — 4 :45 <br />Inspection Type: Phase I Bond Release <br />Weather Conditions: Hot (90's), clear skies, dry ground conditions <br />Participants: <br />Christine Belka, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) <br />Susan Burgmaier, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) <br />.lay James, consultant for Seneca Coal Company (SCC) <br />Roy Karo, SCC <br />Daniel MacKinnon, OSM <br />Spencer Shumate, OSM <br />This was a Phase I bond release inspection for 171.6 reclaimed acres of the total 848.6 acres of <br />disturbance within the Yoast permit area. The Yoast Mine produced Federal coal, and OSM is a <br />co-payee on the reclamation bond. DRMS administers the bond release process in part through <br />the State- Federal Cooperative Agreement found at 30 CFR, Part 906.30. <br />The bond release application and subsequent correspondence in the record document that SCC <br />provided notifications of the bond release inspection as required by Colorado Rule 3, <br />Performance Bond Requirements. These notifications included the surface and mineral owners <br />of the permit area proposed for release, surface landowners adjacent to the permit area, local, <br />State, and Federal governmental agencies, utility companies, and the public at large. DRMS did <br />not receive any comments concerning the proposed bond release. <br />Prior to the inspection OSM reviewed recent DRMS inspection reports for the Yoast Mine and <br />the SL -4 bond release application dated May 31, 2012. Susan Burgmaier began the inspection <br />with a brief overview by orienting the participants to the inspection protocol including the <br />requirements of Colorado Rule 3, Performance Bond Requirements, and the Colorado Guideline <br />Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues dated April 18, 1995. Ms. Burgmaier also <br />explained the methodology used to inspect the areas proposed for release. The proposed release <br />area includes approximately 171.6 acres of regraded roads, topsoil stockpiles, ponds, and <br />drainages. During the overview we discussed approximate original contour (AO C) restoration, <br />large -scale stabilization, and surface water runoff (erosion) control which are all reclamation <br />requirements to be completed in accordance with Colorado Rule 3 and the approved DRMS <br />permit to secure Phase 1 bond release. We also discussed inspection of structures DBMS has <br />approved for permanent retention to support the post - mining land use of rangeland including <br />permanent water impoundments and roads. <br />