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Summary <br /> The Roadside North and South Portal Mines (formerly known as the Roadside and Cameo Mines) <br /> is an underground coal mining operation located in Mesa County, approximately three miles <br /> northeast of Palisade, Colorado, adjacent to Interstate 70 and the Colorado River, at the Cameo <br /> exit in DeBeque Canyon. Although the official status of the operation is "Active",there has been <br /> no coal extraction at the mine since December 1999. <br /> Extensive reclamation work has been conducted at the mine since coal extraction ceased, much of <br /> the work performed after acquisition of the operation by SCC in 2001/2002. During active <br /> operations, mine portals, coal processing facilities, and a coal mine waste disposal area were <br /> located south and east of the interstate, and river. Additional mine portals,coal handling facilities, <br /> two coal mine waste disposal areas, and a rail loadout facility, were located north and west of the <br /> river. At present, the North Portals have been sealed and backfilled, North Portal facilities <br /> demolished, and backfilling and grading of the North Portal facilities area completed. Final <br /> reclamation tasks at the North Portals area were completed in 2012 following approval of Permit <br /> Revision No. 5 (PR-5). The PR-5 application was submitted by Snowcap Coal Company, Inc., to <br /> gain approval for the removal of Ponds 6, 10, 11 and 13 along with other drainage control features <br /> at CRDA I & 2, CBA I & 2 and the North Portal. With this revision SCC was approved to make <br /> changes to the final reclamation plans of Ponds 6, 10, and 11, Coal Gulch, the Coal Canyon <br /> drainage and Roadside North Portal. <br /> An important component of PR-5 was the decision to leave the Coal Canyon drainage in its current <br /> configuration as recommended by the U S Corp of Engineers. As part of the design for CRDA-2, <br /> the Coal Canyon drainage channel was realigned to provide a more uniform, controlled flow <br /> between CRDA-I and CRDA-2. Recently,the US Corp of Engineers recommended that that Coal <br /> Canyon drainage,which was previously approved for realignment during the reclamation of Ponds <br /> 6 and 10, remain in its current configuration. The drainage is stable in its current position and <br /> according to Corp of Engineers personnel realignment for the sake of routing the drainage back to <br /> its original contours would not be a justifiable reason for issuing a Corp Permit. The Division <br /> concurred with not re-disturbing the current alignment of Coal Canyon and as part of the final <br /> reclamation plan Coal Canyon remains in its present alignment and configuration. This is <br /> described in more detail below with regard to Diversions and Conveyance of Overland Flow and <br /> Stream Channel Diversions. All reclamation work in the North Mine reclaimed areas and along <br /> Coal Creek has been completed for these locations. <br /> Both of the two coal waste disposal areas north and west of the river in Coal Canyon have been <br /> fully reclaimed. Both of these coal waste disposal areas have been approved for Phase III bond <br /> release with Surety Release No. 8,November 23, 2016. With approval of Permit Revision No. 5, <br /> on November 11,2016,all areas associated with the North Portals were approved for a post-mining <br /> land use of "Industrial or Commercial". The Town of Palisade, in conjunction with Colorado <br /> Parks and Wildlife constructed an extensive shooting facility and gun range. All remaining <br /> reclaimed areas west of the Colorado River were approved for final bond release with SL9 and <br /> SL10. Technical Revision No. 70 approved removal of all the lands west of the Colorado River <br /> from the permit area and reduced the permit area boundary. <br /> 3 <br />