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III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 999 March t United States Department of the Interior ~~O ~~~ 2002 EFCI Southfield Mine Kerr Coal Company George Patterson PO Box 459 Florence, Colorado 81236 Dear Mr. Patterson: BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Kremmling Field Office 2103 E. Park Ave. PO Box 6S Kremmling, CO 80459 v~oaz4-3oo0 http:/Avww.co blm.gov/kraikrnindex.htm RECEIVED b9AR 9 4 21i1~2 Oivisiori of Minerals and Geology Camp-oo~ IV REPLY REFER TO: 34ootco-I2o> Pursuant to correspondence between BLM and Kerr since September 2001, unreclaimed drill holes and water monitoring wells associated with the long-closed Marr mine will be reclaimed by the standards that follow. Kerr will not be responsible for reclamation of drill holes originally drilled by the U.S. Department of Interior, unless they specifically used such wells as part of their mine plan, permit or monitoring activities. Table 1 lists the parties responsible for reclamation of the drill holes drilled by USGS. The only drill hole exceptions to reclamation at this time will be the handful of wells required to remain in active monitoring status by the state of Colorado. (1) Any wells or holes that were drilled under the federal exploration license C-28056 and intercepted coal resources, shall be abandoned and reclaimed under the tetTns of that license, unless they aze to be used as "beneficial use" water wells (see # 4, below). The standards of abandonment for this license was to isolate the coal seam from adjacent strata and groundwater by use of a cement plug through the coal, ~0' above and 50' below the seam (1979 exploration license, section 14j, p. 4). Similar intervals for all aquifers will also be plugged with cement. If any of I:hese drill holes were completed as hydrologic monitoring wells without federal approval, it shall be Kerr's responsibility to satisfy the BLM that well completion includes isolation of the coat seam and aquifers equivalent to that described above. (2) Any wells outside [he limits of [his license that intercept federal coal resources shall be plugged to standards outlined in (1). (3) Any wells that do not intercept federal coal resources shall be plugged and abandoned by standards set by the state of Colorado, through the existing mine permit or other agreements with [he Colorado Division of Mined Land. (3) Kerr's August 12, 2002 date of completion of plugging and abandonment is satisfactory. Some areas within the exploration license contain seasonal sage grouse stipulations, as well as wet and fragile soil conditions that may occur until the onset of summer. (4) Any wells that will be considered for beneficial use shall have casings equal to or greater than 4 inch diameter. Water quality and quantity data will be required of these wells (sample data and pump test less than 2 years old). The BLM will be the sole party to decide if such wells will be put to beneficial use, or will be plugged under the above standards on BLM lands.