APPCOR11388

• Permit No: C1992079
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 9/21/1992
• Doc Name: COMPLETENESS EVALUATION COAL GULCH PERMIT APPLICATION C-92-079
• From: DMG
• To: PENNSYLVANIA WEST COAL CO INC
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF CU~~>~LJO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman 51., Room 215
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: [phone]~35h7
FA%:1303183?-8106
September 21, 1992
Mr. ,lack Purdy
Pennsylvania West Coal Company, Inc.
626 West Pender Street, Suite 907
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V661 V9
RE: Completeness Evaluation, Coal Gulch Permit Application, C-92-079
Dear Mr. Purdy:
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Roy Romer
Governor
M¢hae~ B. Long
Division Director
The staff has reviewed the comments from Gene Larson responding to the Division's
request for baseline data. The information provided is inadequate to allow the Division to
deem the permit application complete. Responses to Mr. Carson's comments follow;
however, the Division's request for information in accordance with the August 3, 1992
memo still stands.
A. Drill hole baseline information is imperative for evaluating the baseline geochemistry
at the site. Information derived from field samples acquired from the highwall of
the portal area can certainly be used to supplement information derived from the
drill holes, as proposed by Mr. Larson, but they certainly do not tell the entire story.
For example, the samples acquired from the portal area may not adequately
represent the geochemistry of the mine, in that the portals are located 3200' from
the center of the first year's workings in the mine. Additionally, the permit
indicates that the geological history is that of aregressive-transgressive shoreline
sequence; as such, substantial changes in lithology can occur within fifty feet in
such facies deposits, and more so in distances of over half a mile. The Division
could consider allowing Pennsylvania West to drill only two holes spaced to
maximize the information derived, since the permit area is only 289 acres and the
highwall samples have been collected. Depending on the geochemical nature of the
results and their replicability, however, a more intense sampling scheme could be
required at a later date.
Mr. Carson's letter does not respond to the request for information on the physical
characteristics of the aquifer. As stated earlier, the need for this information is
required by Rule 2.04.6131(al(iii)(A) and 2.04.7(1)(b).