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J. E. STOVER & ASSOCIATES 2768 COMPASS DRIVE, SUITE 101 GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO 81506 PHONE: (970) 245101, FAX 242-7908 MINE ENGINEERING MINE RECLAMATION d~ ~~~~oo~oLiE T~~~ow~ March 4, 1998 Mr. David Berry Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 Re: Bear No. 3 Mine Inflows Wright Water Letter Dated 2/18/98 Permit C-81-033 Dear Mr. Berry: RECEIVED MAR 0 6 1998 Division of Minerals & Geology On behalf of Bear Coal Company, following are its comments on the referenced Wright Water Engineers correspondence: WWE states the Bear No. 3 Mine inflows were first noticed in June 1995, one and one half years before MCC began to store large volumes of water in the NW Sealed Sump. The Bear No. 3 Mine infows, first noticed in June 1995, occurred one month aker MCC sealed longwall panels 1NW through 5NW in May 1995. The June 1995 Mine inflow corresponds perfectly with MCC's activation of the NW Sealed Sump. 2. WWE states that after longwall panels 1 NW through 5 NW were sealed in May 1995, the only water that contributed flow to this location was ambient groundwater inflows of less than 10 gpm. This statement was directly contradicted by MCC in its letter to the DMG dated September 22, 1997. In the last paragraph on page 3, under the heading Sumoing and Handling of Mine Inflow Water, MCC explained how operational water and mine inflow water from the Jumbo Mountain area was pumped to the NW Sealed Sump. MCC quantified this flow as "comparatively insignificant". 3. WWE makes the point that there was an insufficient supply of water in the NW Panels to be the source of the observed 18 gpm inflow reported by Bear in its 1996 AHR. This point is based on WWE's mistaken belief in Item 2 above. 999 CIVIL ENGINEERING CONST. MANAGEMENT WWE points out the Bear No. 3 Mine experienced an increase in mine inflows prior to November 11, 1996 when MCC began storing large volumes of water in the NW Panels.