APPCOR10092

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 7/16/1982
• From: OSM
• To: BEAR COAL CO INC
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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• 13. The permit area does not contain areas which are considered alluvial
valley floors. An alluvial valley floor begins approximately 1 mile down-
stream in the North Fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The mine will not pre-
clude farming in this area because:
a. A sedimentation pond will be constructed that will withstand a
10-year, 24-hour event. It will be properly bermed (to prevent
flood damage) and sealed (to prevent infiltration into the North
Fork alluvium). This pond and a series of drainage ditches will
drain the mine facilities area including the coal stock pile, thus
precluding any toxic or silt outwash into the North Fork of the
Gunnison.
b. Mine drainage is not expected to occur for the following reasons:
1. The "C" seam to be mined dips 3-5 degrees (north-northeast)to-
ward the portals and has been naturally drained of water because of
this stratigraphic dip, resulting in an exceptionally dry mine.
These conditions are prevalent in Bear #1, #2 and #3. The rejuve-
nated Edwards Mine (will he named Bear #3) has been surveyed by the
new operator and has been found to be dry, even though it has been
idle in an abandoned condition since 1966.
2. The Bear mines are located under a massive sandstone layer that
precludes drainage from above this layer. If water is encountered
in the mine it is fossil or "in-situ" water in the coal or is a re-
• sult of encountering perched aquifers. Mining history in this area
indicates extreme dry mining conditions. [see Alluvial Valley
Floors, pg. 22, Sec.VII of TA] [2.07.6.(2)(K), 786.19(1)].
14. The proposed postmining land use of wildlife and undeveloped land
supporting limited wildlife and residential use has been approved by the Colo-
rado Mined Land Reclamation Division, the Office of Surface Mining and the ap-
propriate landowners (see Land Use, p. 12, Sec. II of TA and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife letter) [2.07.6.(2)(1), 786.19(m)].
15. The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division and OSM have made all
specific approvals required by the Act, the approved Colorado State Program
and the Federal Lands Program (see TA) [2.07.6.(2)(m), 786.19(n)].
16. The proposed operation will not affect the continued existence of
endangered and threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse mod-
ification of their critical habitats. A golden eagle nest is located in the
vicinity of the #3 mine and BLM has provided additional information on the
exact location of the nest. Both BlM and OSM have determined that mining will
not affect the nest, therefore, the stipulation in the TA for a survey has
been eliminated (see Fish & Wildlife Section, p. 69, Sec. XIII of TA and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife concurrence letter) [2.07.6.(2)(n), 786.19(0)].
17. The overall long term socioeconomic conditions should remain con-
stant with short-term disruptions of employment relating to delayed startup of
operations in Bear #3 Mine following cessation of mining at Bear #1 and #2.
• Continued employment of the 60-70 person workforce at Bear #1 and #2 will