2013-04-09_REPORT - C1980007

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 4/9/2013
• Doc Name: 2012 ARR Division Review Letter
• From: DRMS
• To: Mountain Coal Company, LLC
• Permit Index Doc Type: Annual Reclamation Report
• Email Name: JRS
• Email Name: DIH
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
9 April 2013
Kathleen G. Welt
Mountain Coal Company, LLC
P.O. Box 591
Somerset, CO 81434
Re: West Elk Mine (Permit No. C- 1980 -007)
2012 Annual Reclamation Report
Division Review Letter
Dear Ms. Welt:
COLORADO
ID IV I S I O N O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
John W. Hickenlooper
Governor
Mike King
Executive Director
Loretta E. Pineda
Director
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) has received the 2012
Annual Reclamation Report (ARR) for the West Elk Mine. The required submittal date for the
2012 ARR was 15 February 2013 and the ARR was received on 13 February 2013 (report dated 8
February 2013). Thank you for your timely submittal of this report. The Division has reviewed
the 2012 ARR and has the following comments and questions.
1. Most of the reclaimed drill pads and roads were inspected during the summer and fall of
2012. The Division believes that West Elk did a very good job reclaiming these areas.
There were several reclaimed drill pads that were extremely steep. West Elk will need to
continue to monitor these drill pads and perform maintenance as necessary.
2. West Elk provided copies of the seed invoices for the areas seeded in 2012. This is an
acceptable alternative to providing copies of the seed tags. A review of the seeds and seed
quantities shown on the invoice indicates that the appropriate seed mix was used.
The cover letter for the 2012 ARR states that West Elk is not including the 3.5 acres for the
HR -1 slide disturbance and remediation. The Division believes that this acreage needs to
be included in the reported disturbance acreages since it was reclaimed, topsoiled and
seeded. Please update the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Annual
Reclamation Report Form to reflect this acreage.
4. On the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Annual Reclamation Report
Form for the year 2012, West Elk lists "0" for acres seeded for greater than 10 years. This
category includes all areas that have not received a Phase III Bond Release but have been
seeded for more than 10 years. There are several areas that were included in the Partial
Phase II Bond Release SL -04 that were seeded in 1996, 2000 and 2001. These acreages
have been seeded for greater than 10 years and need to be included in this column (as do
any other areas that have been seeded for greater than 10 years but not yet included in a
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines