2017-11-20_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1996083

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mine eight additional longwall panels north of the existing mine area. The permit area was increased by 1,790.2 acres. BRL was not proposing additional surface disturbance with this revision application. In a letter dated July 15, 2016, BRL was informed by the Division that the current five year permit term was going to expire on April 4, 2017 and that the Permit Renewal No. 4 application was due on or before October 6, 2016. BRL submitted a complete permit renewal package on July 25, 2016. The renewal was deemed complete on August 3, 2016. Completeness letters were sent out on the same day. The completeness public notice was published on August 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2016. The Division sent a Preliminary Adequacy Review adequacy review letter to BRL dated September 29, 2016. The response was received on February 15, 2017. A second adequacy review was sent on February 28, 2017. The Response to the second adequacy review was received on March 1, 2017, and addressed all remaining concerns. An updated Section 7 consultation was needed for Permit Renewal No. 3. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office had conducted an environmental assessment (August 2012) for the Bowie Coal Lease Modification Application. The EA included an informal section 7 consultation request (November 30, 2011) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) regarding potential effects on threatened and endangered species. OSM determined on December 18, 2012 that the Bowie No. 2 Mine is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat. Information related to the environmental assessment was incorporated into the Permit with Permit Revision No. 13, approved on April 4, 2013. Description of the Environment The Bowie No. 2 coal mine permit area includes 10,987.4 surface acres, of which 5,262.9 surface acres are federally owned and 5,724.5 acres are privately owned. The coal and the surface lands within the present permit area are both federally and privately owned, as are the surface areas that have been disturbed by surface developments. The total approved disturbed area by surface operations is 404.22 acres. The Bowie No. 2 Mine is located in Delta County, approximately five (5) miles northeast of Paonia, Colorado. The mine permit area is located on lands depicted on the U. S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute Bowie Quadrangle Map, and the Bowie No. 2 mine portals are located northwest of the Old King Mine portals (also known as the Bowie Mine). The surface facilities are located north and south of Old State Highway 133 near the old townsite of Bowie. The mine is located between Terror Creek and Hubbard Creek. A portion of the surface facilities is within 100 feet of the outside right-of-way of old State Highway 133. The location of these facilities extends from the old townsite of Bowie to about 500 feet east of the old Bowie power plant. The original Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application indicated that mining would be conducted using the room and pillar mining method. Permit Revision No. 3 changed the mining method to longwall mining but kept the rate of production at two million tons per year. Approval of Permit Revision No. 3 increased maximum mine production to five million tons per year. Approval of Permit Revision No. 6 increased coal production to 6 million tons per year. Approval of Permit Revision No. 7 permitted the construction of portals and facilities to mine the B-2 coal seam. The five year B-2 coal seam mine plan was approved through Permit Revision No. 8. There is no mining of the B-2 Seam or the D-2 Seam currently. The Bowie No. 2 Mine is in temporary cessation. Detailed information regarding the Bowie No. 2 Mine and BRL is located in 11 Volumes, which comprise the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application document. 13