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RULE 2 PERMITS <br />2.05 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR SURFACE OR UNDERGROUND MINING <br />ACTIVITIES — MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATIONS AND <br />RECLAMATION PLAN <br />2.05.1 Objectives <br />The objectives of this section are to insure that the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division is <br />provided with comprehensive and reliable information on the planned surface coal mining and <br />reclamation operations, and to insure that those operations will be conducted in compliance with the coal <br />regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board and the Colorado Surface Coal Mining <br />Reclamation Act, Article 33 of Title 34, as amended, Colorado Revised Statutes of 1973. Information <br />presented in this application which addresses 2.05 is referenced as necessary to the applicable <br />environmental baseline information of 2.04 to demonstrate that the operation is being conducted <br />consistent with environmental resources information. <br />2.05.2 Operation Plan — Estimated Area for Life of Operation <br />Colowyo has permitted the entire area for the life of the operation. Other information regarding the permit <br />term is delineated in Section 2.01.5. All information for the operational plan will be delineated in Section <br />2.05.3. Likewise, for purposes of this application, the permit area identifies the area for the life of the <br />mine. <br />Colowyo will employ detailed and current engineering designs for all surface mining activities in order to <br />maximize coal recovery. The open pit mining technique minimizes or eliminates coal rib losses and coal <br />fenders. The mining operations described in Section 2.05.3 are designed for maximum coal recovery. <br />2.05.3 Operation Plan — Permit Area Production Methods and Equipment <br />Colowyo has selected its mining procedures on the basis of information from numerous exploration drill <br />holes which penetrated the overburden, the interburden, and the coal seams. Each phase of mining has <br />been carefully scheduled so that all equipment can be operated in situations suitable to their design <br />capabilities. The overall operation plan is designed to flow logically from topsoil removal through <br />contemporaneous reclamation. The plan is designed to maximize coal recovery and minimize <br />environmental disturbances. <br />The first step in the operations plan is the removal of topsoil and vegetation. In most instances, vegetation <br />material and topsoil will be removed in one operation by dozers or scrapers. Vegetation material that is <br />large enough to interfere with topsoil removal or replacement will be removed in a separate operation and <br />disposed of in the pit area. It is expected that vegetation will be removed as a separate operation only on a <br />very small portion of the area. Removing vegetation and topsoil in one operation is used for the following <br />reasons: <br />FJ <br />Topsoil recovery is maximized since removal of vegetation as a separate operation wastes <br />one to three inches of the best topsoil that contains many native seeds. <br />Vegetation incorporated into the topsoil can provide live plant materials for shrub <br />sprouting when replaced immediately. <br />Vegetation material mixed with the topsoil helps reduce compaction when topsoil is <br />replaced, and provides additional erosion control. <br />Rule 2 Permits 2.05 -1 Revision Date: 6/11/12 <br />Revision No.: RN -06 <br />