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<br />The permit renewal area associated with this mining plan action contains <br />approximately 4,240 acres, approximately 3,500 acres of which are leased <br />Federal coal in the mining plan modification area. The permit renewal <br />area associated with this mining plan for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine <br />does not add any new acreage. However, Colorado MLRD has had the <br />opportunity to incorporate and analyze all available new information <br />including specific impacts to the Minnesota Creek drainage from mining <br />in the life-of-mine area that were not included in previous permit <br />decisions. Therefore, it is recommended that the Secretary take this <br />opportunity to do the same. This also provides the opportunity to <br />consolidate the 1981 approved mining plan and the mining plan <br />modifications of August and September 1985 into a single approval and to <br />issue a mining plan approval document covering the entire mining plan <br />approval area. <br />The underground mining operations will utilize room and pillar mining <br />methods. The F coal seam in the mining plan area will be mined at a <br />production rate of approximately 2,800,000 tons per year. Mining is <br />expected to continue for 40 years. This mining operation will not <br />affect any environmentally-sensitive areas. <br />During the review of the PAP, the following major issues were <br />identified. A concern was identified by BIM with regard to the <br />extensive buffer zones established for subsidence control. These buffer <br />zones are designed to prevent subsidence and fracturing which could <br />cause depletion of surface water through increased infiltration. <br />Stipulations 4 and 19 on Colorado MLRD's permit require respectively <br />that the subsidence protection plan for Minnesota Creek be based on <br />subsidence monitoring information, and that, for future permit <br />submittals, the most current subsidence monitoring information be <br />utilized with particular attention focused on designated safe buffer <br />areas. In addition, a mining plan approval will be required for the <br />mining of these areas and B[M can review these issues at that time. <br />This should insure optimum coal recovery while still protecting water <br />resources. <br />The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) identified a need for monitoring during <br />the grazing season of water sources (springs, seeps and ponds) above <br />areas to be retreat mined. This monitoring would be required monthly <br />unless the District Ranger determines a different frequency is <br />necessary. This commitment was made in the permit application. <br />A concern was identified by OSMRE with regard to alluvial valley floor <br />(AVF) protection. This centered around whether or not the full <br />implementation of WECC's water augmentation plan could adversely affect <br />AVF's through the diversion of water from them. WECC provided a <br />reconnaisance survey of the lands from which water would be diverted for <br />the augmentation plan. Only a small percentage of the lands could <br />potentially qualify to be AVF's; therefore, no significant impact to <br />AVF's were identified. <br />- 3 - <br />