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1.1 Location and History of Trapper Mine <br /> <br />The Trapper Mine is located in northwest Colorado along the northern slope of the Williams Fork <br />Mountains, approximately four to six miles southwest of the City of Craig. The boundaries of the permit <br />area are about six miles long (east to west) by two miles wide (north to south) (Figure 1.1-1). <br /> <br />Utah International Inc. began exploration drilling operations for Trapper Mine in 1954 to obtain geologic <br />information on the structure of coal beds and estimates of mineable coal reserves. In 1973, Utah Inter- <br />national Inc. and four electric utilities signed a contract for delivery of coal to fuel the mine mouth Craig <br />Generating Station. This coal delivery obligation of approximately 104 million tons over a 52 year period <br />will require strip mining six to seven thousand acres of land since the start of mining activities in 1977 <br />and continuing into the year 2028. <br /> <br />Environmental studies for the Trapper Mine were started in 1972 and intensified in 1973 and 1974. <br />Most of those studies will continue throughout the life of the project. Trapper Mine's objective is to <br />reclaim the disturbed lands to as good as or better condition than before mining. A high priority is <br />attached to the reclamation programs, all of which are designed to protect wildlife, water, air quality and <br />other environmental resources of the mine area. <br /> <br />The shop and warehouse buildings were completed in November of 1975, while the office complex was <br />completed in November of 1976. The construction of the first of three 30 cubic yard walking draglines <br />started in February, 1976. <br /> <br />Actual mining operations began in May, 1977, and coal deliveries started in August, 1978. <br /> <br />The original owner of Trapper Mine was Utah International, Inc. (Utah), an international mining <br />company. All initial permitting and mining efforts were performed by Utah. In July, 1982, Utah formed a <br />subsidiary called Trapper Mining Inc. to consolidate and hold the properties and rights that make up <br />Trapper Mine. In July, 1983, Trapper Mining Inc. was purchased by the owners of the Craig Generating <br />Station, the electric utility receiving its coal from Trapper Mine. Section 1.2 of this application provides <br />further information concerning the owners of Trapper Mining Inc. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 1-2