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Mr. David C. Shelton Page 2 <br />October 6, 1981 <br />• Steps to be Taken by Bear Coal Company to Assist in <br />Receiving Permit Revision. <br />Location of the Area Necessary to Continue Operations <br />The area necessary to continue operations for the Bear Coal Company <br />covers only about 300 acres and is located in the eastern half of <br />Section 17 and in the extreme southeastern corner of Section 20 (T. 13 <br />S., R. 90 W.). Area of surface disturbance for the surface facilities <br />and portals will be probably be less than 20 acres. <br />Planned Mining and Reclamation Plans <br />Bear Coal Company currently produces a high quality, low sulfur coal <br />from two underground mines located near Somerset, Colorado, and is <br />engaged exclusively in underground mining operations on land which it <br />either owns, controls, or leases. Unlike many major coal producers, <br />the Bear Coal Company does not have vast amounts of coal reserves <br />which can be produced. The immediate need for approval of mining in <br />the additional coal reserves is imperative if Bear Coal Company is to <br />maintain its present level of production and employment and if it is <br />to meet its obligations to its customers. <br />Bear Coal Company produces only about 200,000 to 250,000 tons of coal <br />per year; part of this coal is sold to Colorado residents for heating <br />their homes during winter months. <br />Bear Coal Company does not plan to increase production from the area <br />adjacent to existing operations; likewise, no new equipment will be <br />added. The present equipment and existing work force will be used to <br />continue mining operations. <br />Because these areas are adjacent to the existing operations of Bear <br />Coal Company, immediate environmental impacts would be minimal. No <br />additional socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communitites of <br />Somerset and Paonia would be experienced because, Bear Coal Company <br />only plans to maintain existing levels of production and employment. <br />Support facilities such as the crushers, conveyors, and buildings are <br />already owned by Bear Coal Company and would only be moved to facili- <br />tate the mining. The total surface area disturbed at one time would <br />not be different from what currently exists because there will be no <br />expansion of existing levels of production. <br />The area which would be disturbed would be reclaimed to beneficial <br />uses similar to adjacent areas. Thus the long-term environmental <br />effects from mining of the adjacent coal reserves would be <br />non-existent. Importantly, Colorado and the nation would continue to <br />enjoy production of coal and the federal government would continue to <br />receive royalty revenue since the coal to be mined is federal. <br />