2018-01-23_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981041

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9 C1981-041 RN7 findings The Review Process Snowcap Coal company, Inc. submitted an application for a permit renewal of the Roadside Portals permit on June 26, 2017. The Division determined the application to be complete on July 5, 2017. The following agencies and offices were notified on July 5, 2017 of the application and provided the opportunity to comment on the application; the United States Bureau of Land Management, the Office of Surface Mining, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado Division of Water Resources, Mesa County Planning Department, Mesa County Commissioners, Town of Palisade, and Ute Water Conservancy District. A public notice, regarding the Division’s receipt of the application and soliciting comments, was published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel on July 11, 18, 25, and August 1, 2017. On August 2, 2017, the Division received a letter from Colorado Division of Water Resources, stating that they had no concerns with the permit renewal application. On August 2, 2017, the Division received notification from the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), stating that since this renewal does not propose any additional disturbance, the SHPO finds that no historic properties should be affected. As already committed to in the permit, the SHPO notes that should any previously unidentified archaeological resources be discovered, that work shall be interrupted and the resources evaluated in consultation with the SHPO. Description of the Environment The Roadside North and South Portals Mine complex lies in the alluvial valley of the Colorado River along Interstate 70 (I-70) just east of the town of Palisade. The river and interstate trend northeast to southwest through the mine area, with the North Portal facilities and mine workings located to the west and north, and the South Portal facilities and mine workings to the east and south. Located 12 miles from Grand Junction, the mines are situated in DeBeque Canyon in the Bookcliffs, a ridge comprised of vari-colored shales and sandstones trending northwest-southeast. The Bookcliffs border the Grand Valley where the Colorado River exits the highlands of the cliffs and enters the valley. Mount Garfield, a prominent peak in the Bookcliffs, lies southwest of the mine site and serves as the southwestern corner of the Piceance basin to the north. The mines can be located on the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle maps labeled "Cameo" and "Palisade." The Bookcliffs coal field is characterized by a monoclinal structure with the strata dipping gently to the northeast. Exhibits 13 and 14 of the permit application illustrate the surface geology and geologic structure of the permit area. The mine’s surfac e facilities were located on and adjacent to the alluvial valley floor of the Colorado River. The river alluvium ranges from a clayey to silty sand and contains scattered gravel and cobble-sized fragments. The depth of the alluvium ranges from nine to sixty feet beneath the surface disturbed areas. Historically, the valley has been mined for coal since the late 1800's, so the alluvial valley floor has been altered and affected by these operations. The Cameo power plant, which was a customer for coal that was mined at Roadside, was located west of the mine site along Interstate 70. The Cameo power plant has been decommissioned and demolished.