2018-01-23_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981041

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4 C1981-041 RN7 findings Summary The Roadside North and South Portal Mines (formerly known as the Roadside and Cameo Mines) is an underground coal mining operation located in Mesa County, approximately three miles northeast of Palisade, Colorado, adjacent to Interstate 70 and the Colorado River, at the Cameo exit in DeBeque Canyon. Although the official status of the operation is “Active”, there has been no coal extraction at the mine since December 1999. Extensive reclamation work has been conducted at the mine since coal extraction ceased, much of the work performed after acquisition of the operation by SCC in 2001/2002. During active operations, mine portals, coal processing facilities, and a coal mine waste disposal area were located south and east of the interstate, and river. Additional mine portals, coal handling facilities, two coal mine waste disposal areas, and a rail loadout facility, were located north and west of the river. At present, the North Portals have been sealed and backfilled, North Portal facilities demolished, and backfilling and grading of the North Portal facilities area completed. Final reclamation tasks at the North Portals area were completed in 2012 following approval of Permit Revision No. 5 (PR-5). The PR-5 application was submitted by Snowcap Coal Company, Inc., to gain approval for the removal of Ponds 6, 10, 11 and 13 along with other drainage control features at CRDA 1 & 2, CBA 1 & 2 and the North Portal. With this revision SCC was approved to make changes to the final reclamation plans of Ponds 6, 10, and 11, Coal Gulch, the Coal Canyon drainage and Roadside North Portal. An important component of PR-5 was the decision to leave the Coal Canyon drainage in its current configuration as recommended by the U S Corp of Engineers. As part of the design for CRDA-2, the Coal Canyon drainage channel was realigned to provide a more uniform, controlled flow between CRDA-1 and CRDA-2. Recently, the US Corp of Engineers recommended that that Coal Canyon drainage, which was previously approved for realignment during the reclamation of Ponds 6 and 10, remain in its current configuration. The drainage is stable in its current position and according to Corp of Engineers personnel realignment for the sake of routing the drainage back to its original contours would not be a justifiable reason for issuing a Corp Permit. The Division concurred with not re-disturbing the current alignment of Coal Canyon and as part of the final reclamation plan Coal Canyon remains in its present alignment and configuration. This is described in more detail below with regard to Diversions and Conveyance of Overland Flow and Stream Channel Diversions. All reclamation work in the North Mine reclaimed areas and along Coal Creek has been completed for these locations. Both of the two coal waste disposal areas north and west of the river in Coal Canyon have been fully reclaimed. Both of these coal waste disposal areas have been approved for Phase III bond release with Surety Release No. 8, November 23, 2016. With approval of Permit Revision No. 5, on November 11, 2016, all areas associated with the North Portals were approved for a post-mining land use of “Industrial or Commercial”. The Town of Palisade, in conjunction with Colorado Parks and Wildlife is constructing an extensive shooting facility and gun range. All remaining reclaimed areas west of the Colorado River were approved for final bond release with SL9 and