2013-10-08_REVISION - C1982056 (22)

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Permit Revision No. 2 (PR-02), approved undermining a portion of Routt County Road No. 27 in Section 33, T5N, R86W and Section 25, T5N, R87W. Routt County approved this undermining and subsidence of the road and the Division stipulated that the written approval from Routt County be submitted prior to any longwall mining below the surface of the road. The Division published notice of a public hearing in the Steamboat Pilot on July 16, 1992. No comments concerning the mining within 100 feet of the right-of-way were received from the public. Warning signs were posted along the road in the zone of subsidence. Subsidence and rockfall due to mining in Panel 6 in the SW Mining District required that the operator re-design the mitigative measures proposed originally under PR-02 to protect the use of County Road No. 27 in Sections 33, T5N, R86W and Section 25, T5N, R87W. Technical Revision No. 19 (TR-19) approved construction of a trench/berm system approximately 4200 feet in length adjacent to County Road No. 27 to stop any rockfall prior to reaching the county road. Exhibit 7a, Stability Investigation of the Twentymile Sandstone Cliff, and Exhibit 7f, Rockfall Hazard Assessment and Selection of Hazard Control or Mitigation Measures, outline details with regard to the cliff, County Road No. 27 and required mitigation measures. As a result of undermining the cliff along County Road No. 27 in Panels 7, 8 and 9 of the Southwest Mining District, substantial rockfall did occur. The trench/berm system along the road, in addition to slight road relocation, proved to be an effective and necessary measure to protect the safety of the public users of this road as numerous boulders were trapped in the trench/berm system. Permit Revision No. 3 (PR-03) allowed undermining a significant portion of Routt County Road No. 33 in portions of Sections 14, 22, 23, 27, and 28, T5N, R86W. The Division published a notice on October 7, 1993 in the Steamboat Pilot providing the opportunity for a public hearing concerning the undermining of approximately four (4) miles of Routt County Road No. 33. These four miles of road lie within the area affected by longwall panels 9R, 8R, 7R (PR-03), 6R and 5R (PR04). There was no public response or concern voiced about undermining of the road. The applicant received all necessary approvals from Routt County to undermine County Road No. 33. Special Use Permit No. 92-233 issued by Routt County approved the undermining and subsidence of County Road No. 33 as long as the conditions addressing appropriate road warning signage, monitoring, and repairs are met by Twentymile Coal Company. Based on the above information, the Division finds Twentymile Coal Company in compliance with Rule (2.07.6(2)(d)(iv)) for the undermining of Routt County Road No. 33. Approval of Permit Revision No. 4 (PR-04) on April 20, 1998, allowed for continued mining in the Eastern Mining District of longwall panels 6R through 2R. Only panels 6R and 5R had an impact to Routt County Road No. 33. Experience gained during subsidence of panels 9R through 7R demonstrated that traffic on County Road No. 33 was not been interrupted as a result of the subsidence of the road. Subsidence of Longwall panels 6R and 5R did not interrupt traffic on Routt County Road No. 33. Approval of Permit Revision No. 5 (PR-05) on May 28, 2000, allowed longwall panel 12R to undermine a Twentymile sandstone outcrop in Section 14, T5N, R86W. Prior to approval, Twentymile Coal Company committed to scaling loose rock on the slope prior to undermining, and the use, as necessary, of concrete barriers along the north side of 22 Foidel Creek MineOctober 8, 2013