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into a cooperative agreement which provides for the delegation to the <br />State of the permitting responsibilities Eor operations on Federal lands <br />pursuant to Section 523 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation <br />Act of 1977 (SMCRA), the previously issued Federal permit has been <br />allowed to expire. This mining plan approval document identifies the <br />leased Federal coal lands in the previously approved mining plan area. <br />No new leased Federal coal lands are recommended for approval with this <br />action. <br />Colorado Mi.RD reviewed the PAP associated with this mining plan action <br />under the Colorado State program, the Federal lands program (30 CFR <br />Chapter VII, Subchapter D) and the Colorado cooperative agreement <br />(30 CFR 906.30). Pursuant to the Colorado State program and the <br />cooperative agreement, Colorado D4.RD issued the permit renewal for the <br />proposed operations at the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine on May 19, 1987. <br />The operation and reclamation plan portion of the PAP was reviewed by <br />OSMRE, in consultation with other Federal agencies, for compliance with <br />SMCRA, the Federal lands program, and all other requirements of <br />applicable Federal laws. The resource recovery and protection plan was <br />reviewed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for compliance with the <br />Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and 43 CFR Part 3480. <br />The mining plan approval document included with this memorandum will be <br />in conformance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, SMCRA, <br />the Federal lands program and other applicable Federal regulations, and <br />the Colorado cooperative agreement. <br />I recommend that you advise the Assistant Secretary-Land and Minerals <br />Management, under 30 CFR Part 746, that the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine <br />mining plan, as modified, is ready for approval. Colorado MLRD has <br />determined that a bond in the amount of $2,250,000.00 is adequate Eor <br />the permit associated with the mining plan modification recommended for <br />approval. <br />I have determined that approval of the mining plan, as modified, will <br />not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. <br />II. Background <br />The Mt. Gunnison No. 1 underground coal mine is located in Gunnison <br />County, Colorado, approximately 10 miles east of Paonia, Colorado. The <br />mine has been in operation since 1981. The mining plan for the Mt. <br />Gunnison No. 1 mine was originally approved under the Federal lands <br />program on July 15, 1981. Since the original approval of the mining <br />plan, there have been two mining plan modifications which were approved <br />on August 16, 1985, and September 27, 1985. <br />- 2 - <br />