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liii iiiiiiiiiiiii iii <br />999 <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIV1510N OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman SL, Roam 215 <br />Denier, Colorado 80203 <br />DIVISION O F <br />Phone: (3031 866-7567 MINERALS <br /> <br />FAQ. U03) 832-8106 I <br />$c i <br />GEOLOG`~'~ <br />R EC LAM ATIONI <br />MI NING•SAFETYI <br />Daniel E. Beaz <br /> <br />Bear Coal Company, Inc, Bill Owens <br />envernnr <br />P.O. BOX 518 Greg E. Watcher <br />Somerset CO 81434 E+ecunve Director <br /> Michael B. Long <br /> Division Director <br />Dear Mr. Bear: <br />The Division has received your letter of April 6, 2000, concerning the possible effects on the <br />Bear III mine from water used to extinguish the fire up-dip from the Bear III workings. We <br />appreciate your concern about the matter. Mountain Coal Company is taking steps to control the <br />combustion at the direction of, and in cooperation with the Mine Safety and Health <br />Administration. As it has done in similar instances in the past, The Division of Minerals and <br />Geology has deferred formal approval of any mine permit changes until the emergency situation <br />at the mine is under control. <br />The combustion appears to have been located in an azea of cross-cuts. Consequently, the area is <br />relatively small and can hopefully be isolated from the longwall panels. It has been the strategy <br />of Mountain Coal Company to keep the area of combustion isolated in this area and to seal that <br />area off from the remainder of the mine by pumping grout into the area. Then, a relatively <br />smaller volume of water can successfully extinguish the combustion. This water should be <br />mostly retained within the area sealed off by the grout. It is our understanding that this effort <br />appears to have been successful. <br />Water that escapes from the area where it was introduced would probably flow into the existing <br />NW panels sealed sump area where, as you know, water is already stored prior to release. It is <br />our understanding that the water pumped in to fight the fire amounts to about 12% of the volume <br />of the sump. This sump area is already being discharged, with the water released into Lone <br />Pine Gulch. Anew system is nearly ready to come online which will discharge this water <br />through a finishing pond into Sylvester Gulch. The Division feels that these measures will <br />prevent abuild-up of head in the sump area which might cause problems. <br />Mountain Coal Company is monitoring the quantity and quality of outflow from these sumps and <br />will continue to do so at an increased frequency. <br />