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TRI-STATE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION ASSOCIATION, INC. <br />HEADQUARTERS: P.O. BOX 33695 DENVER, COLORADO 80233-0695 303-452-6111 <br />October 31, 2016 <br />Mr. Zach Trujillo <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />RE: Colowyo Coal Company L.P. <br />Permit No. C-1981-019 <br />Minor Revision No. 165 <br />Wildland Fire <br />Dear Mr. Trujillo, <br />RECEIVED <br />NOV 0 2016 <br />Division of Reclamation, <br />Mining & Safety <br />Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State), is the parent <br />company to Axial Basin Coal Company, which is the general partner to Colowyo Coal Company <br />L.P. (Colowyo). Therefore, Tri-State on behalf of Colowyo is submitting three (3) copies of <br />minor revision 165 (MR -165) to Permit No. C-1981-019. <br />As indicated in the August 3, 2016 letter to the Division notifying them of the wild land <br />fire, it was unclear at that time what the cause of the fire. On August 2, 2016, Colowyo <br />conducted two blasts at 4:01 PM and 4:09 PM respectively. It is believed that the second blast <br />on August 2, 2016 at 4:09 PM contained a spark(s) that drifted to an undisturbed area and started <br />the wild land fire. <br />It is believed that the F2 overburden shot contained a very limited amount of coal dust <br />from the mined out F1 coal. This dust was ignited during the shot and the wind carried the <br />plume from the blast north and west. It is assumed that the plume included some remnant <br />spark(s) and started the brush fire when it came in contact with native vegetation. <br />As indicted in the August 3, 2016 letter to the Division, the fire started west of the <br />temporary spoil pile on the West Taylor Fill area, which is north and west of the South Taylor <br />Pit. The brush fire burned 3.8 acres, and 1.4 acres of disturbance occurred to cut in fire lines to <br />contain the fire. Firefighting units from the City of Craig, Colorado Department of Public <br />Safety, Bureau of Land Management, and Colowyo's emergency response team were able to <br />contain and extinguish the brush fire in a timely manner. <br />Also included under the MR -165 application, is a short description of non -mining related <br />disturbances that will occur within the permit boundary. White River Electric Association is <br />modifying, removing, and burying several existing power lines near the Gossard Loadout and <br />adjacent to Jubb Creek within the permit boundary and any surface disturbance that occurs due <br />to this project is not a mining related disturbance by Colowyo. All surface disturbance that will <br />occur will be on Colowyo deeded property, and as the surface landowner, Colowyo supports this <br />project. <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER <br />A Touchstone Energy' Cooperatives( <br />CRAIG STATION ESCALANTE STATION NUCLA STATION <br />P.O. BOX 1307 P.O. BOX 577 P.O. BOX 696 <br />CRAIG, CO 61626-1307 PREWITT, NM 67045 NUCLA, CO 81424-0698 <br />970-824-4411 505-972-5200 970464-7316 <br />