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~~ -z- ARCO Coal Company (ARCO), a division of Atlantic Richfield Company, submitted a mining and reclamation plan to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on August 4, 1976. The plan was accepted by the USGS as suitable for inclusion in the West-Central Colorado Coal Environmental Statement but was returned to the applicant for revison to comply with 30 CFR 211 and 30 CFR 700. The revised plan was reviewed for completeness by the U. S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and the Colorado Plined Land Reclamation Division in 1980, and sections of the` plan were returned to ARCO for revision. Responses from ARCO were received until March 1981. "Notice of availability" of the complete mine plan was published in the North Fork Times, Paonia, Colorado, on March 12, 1981. The technical and environmental assessment was initiated by OSM and the State on March 12, 1961. ARCO's mining plan was jointly reviewed by OSPf and the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division (MLRD) under the approved Colorado State Program and the Federal Lands program (30 CFR Chapter VII, subchapter D). The Mineral Leasing Act portion of the plan was also reviewed for compliance with the applicable portion of 30 CFR Part 211 (i.e., requirements and responsibilities of the Geological Survey under the Mineral Leasing Act). The Division and OS[1 joint- ly developed the stipulations which must be accepted by the applicant prior to issuance of a permit. These stipulations are hereby made an integral part of the Pit. Gunnison mining and reclamation plan. The U. S. Geological Survey provided written concurrence with the proposed action on June 23, 1981. The Bureau of Land Management provided written concurrence on June 11, 1981. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was consulted regarding threatened and endangered species and verbally concurred with the preferred alternative on June 26 and 29. We have been assured that written concurrence will soon follow. The State Historic Preservation Officer concurred with OSM's proposed compliance with 36 CFR Part 80 on July 11, 1977. The State regulatory authority provided a recommendatio^ for approval on June 22, 1981. A copy of each letter of concurrence in our files is attached (Attachment B). On Tuesday, tfay 12, 1981 at hloller Hall in Paonia, Colorado, OSM held an informal meeting concerning the mine plan application as required by 30 CFR 786.14. This meeting consisted of two sessions, the first starting at 1:00 p.m. and the second at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of this meeting was to hear issues raised by individuals and groups concerning the proposed mine and to accept comments and information on the Mt. Gunnison proposal. Attending this meeting from OSM were Donald Crane, Region V Director, Robert Hagen, Region V Deputy Director, and Walter Swain, Project Manager. Attending from the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division were James Kent, Tom Gillis, Jim Pendleton, Ray Cox, and Gerald Zimpfer. A transcript of the proceedings of this hearing is in the lit. Gunnison mining and reclamation plan file.