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RULE 2 PERMITS <br /> 2.04 Application for Permit for Surface or Underground Mining Activities — Minimum <br /> Requirements for Information on Environmental Resources <br /> This section of the application provides in detail a complete and accurate description of the <br /> environmental resources that either have been or may be impacted or affected by the surface <br /> mining activities conducted or to be conducted by Colowyo. <br /> This application provides a description of the environmental resources for the initially approved <br /> life-of-mine permit area plus the additional areas to be incorporated into the revised permit area. <br /> Due to the fact that these two areas (West Pit and East Pit) are contiguous,there are no substantial <br /> qualitative differences found in the environmental resources that may be affected or impacted by <br /> the surface mining activities. Colowyo believes the description of the premining environmental <br /> resources within the initial mine plan and adjacent areas, still remains valid for successive permit <br /> terms and not subject to additional review and revision. <br /> Approxiamtely 40 years of mining and reclamation success at Colowyo provides confirmation that <br /> the initial environmental resources information was essentially correct and we believe the <br /> information contained herein for the additional mining areas reflects a similar high degree of <br /> accuracy and reliability. <br /> 2.04.3 General Requirements: Site Description and Land Use Information <br /> The location of all of the existing land uses within the permit area and adjacent areas for the mining <br /> operation can be found on the Land Use Map (Map 17). Although part of the area has been <br /> previously mined by underground techniques and part currently is mined by surface methods, the <br /> present dominant land use within the permit area is rangeland. Some limited amount of land <br /> adjacent areas is used as cropland and pastureland. The land use designations in the permit and <br /> adjacent areas are confirmed by the Moffat County Land Use Map which was prepared by the Soil <br /> Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. <br /> As stated above,another use is found on much of the permit boundary,yet it has not been included <br /> in land use categories as defined under existing Colorado regulations for coal mining. This use is <br /> "mined land" and is one of the current land uses within the permit boundary. This land use results <br /> from the fact that the permit boundary covers both undisturbed land and lands which are presently <br /> subject to surface coal mining and reclamation operations. <br /> The current mining operations of Colowyo were initiated in 1976; this mine employees surface <br /> mining techniques as described in Sections 2.05.2 and 2.05.3. Two underground coal mining <br /> operations, known as the Red Wing Mine and the Streeter Mine, were previously operated in the <br /> area. Map 31, Red Wing Mine provides additional information. <br /> The areas designated as rangeland adjacent to the permit area are grazed by either sheep or cattle <br /> during the spring, summer and fall depending on the grazing plan. No evidence could be found <br /> that indicated the land use of rangeland had changed within the preceding five years. <br /> Rule 2 Permits 2.04-1 Revision Date: 12/20/19 <br /> Revision No.: TR-135 <br />