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Midterm Review(MT-9)
<br /> Colowyo Mine
<br /> C-1981-019
<br /> This document presents the results of the Midterm Review of the Colowyo Coal Company,
<br /> LP's(CCC) Colowyo Mine (Colowyo), conducted by the Colorado Division of Reclamation,
<br /> Mining and Safety(the Division). This Midterm Review was conducted to fulfill the
<br /> requirements of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, and Rules 2.08.3,
<br /> 2.06.2(9), 2.06.3(4), 2.06.5(3), 2.06.7(5) and 3.02.2(4) of the Rules and
<br /> Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining.
<br /> Rule 2.08.3 requires the Division to conduct a review of each permit issued,prior to its
<br /> midterm (2 '/2 years). Based on this review, for good cause shown,the Division may require
<br /> reasonable revisions to,or modifications of,the permits provisions to ensure compliance
<br /> with the Act and Regulations.
<br /> Rules 2.06.2, 2.06.3, 2.06.5 and 2.06.7 require that during the midterm review, where
<br /> applicable, experimental practices, mountaintop removal variances, variances from
<br /> approximate original contour(AOC), and variances from contemporaneous reclamation,
<br /> respectively, be reviewed by the Division. The Colowyo Mine does not conduct any
<br /> experimental practices (Rule 2.06.2), mountain top removal operations (Rule 2.06.3) or have
<br /> a variance for contemporaneous reclamation for combined surface and underground mining
<br /> (Rule 2.06.7). Variances have been granted for approximate original contour due to steep
<br /> slope mining (Rule 2.06.5) at the Colowyo Mine. These items are addressed in Section IV
<br /> below.
<br /> Rule 3.02.2(4)requires the Division to review the amount of performance bond liability and
<br /> the terms of acceptance of the bond every 2 '/2 years.
<br /> The proposed decision date for Permit Renewal No. 8 was January 5, 2023. The permit for
<br /> the Colowyo Mine was issued on February 25, 2023. The Proposed Decision and Findings of
<br /> Compliance were updated at the time of the proposed decision for Permit Renewal No. 8.
<br /> Section I-History of Site
<br /> Site location
<br /> The Colowyo Mine is a surface mine located in Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado,
<br /> approximately 23 miles south of the town of Craig, Colorado. The permit area is west of and
<br /> contiguous with Colorado State Highway 13. The permit area encompasses 26,173.14 acres
<br /> (3,481.67 Federal, 1,277.00 State and 21,414.47 private surface acres; 21,778.47 Federal,
<br /> 1,287.21 State and 3,099.46 private coal acres). The total permitted disturbance and affected
<br /> area is 5,419.60 acres. The Colowyo Mine is comprised of five open pits: the East Pit,the
<br /> Section 16 Pit,the West Pit, the South Taylor Pit, and the Collom Pit. Multiple seam mining
<br /> is currently conducted in the Collom Pit, multiple seam mining was conducted in the East,
<br /> West, and South Taylor Pits which are currently in reclamation and two seams were mined in
<br /> the Section 16 Pit,which is also in reclamation. Coal from the Colowyo Mine is trucked to the
<br /> Gossard Loadout and shipped to market by rail.
<br /> Colowyo Mine Midterm Review No.8
<br /> Permit No.C-1981-019 May 5,2020
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