APPCOR13250

• Permit No: C1983059
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision Letter & Findings Document
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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Summary
History of the Review Process, Description of the Environment and
Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plan.
Hlstorv of the Revlew Process
The•Terror Creek Company, a Colorado General Partnership involving
Pacific Basin Coal and Carbon and Bear Coal Company has submitted a
permit application for the Terror Creek L6ad-out. The load-out is
located in Delta County, between Pa onia and Somerset to the south of
State Highway 133. The applicant proposes to buy coal from two mines in
the North Fork Valley; the Bear Mine and the Blue Ribbon Mine,
initially. Coal may be purchased from additional sources as well.
Approximately 13 acres will be disturbed by the operation which will
allow storage, crushing and shipment of 500,000 tons of coal per year.
The Terror Creek Company first approached the Division regarding the
Terror Creek Load-out 1n September of 1982. At that time, based on
verbal communication with representatives of the Terror Creek Company,
iihe Division indicated that 1t was not clear whether or not a MLR permit
would be necessary for construction, operation, and reclamation of an
off-site coal load-out such as Terror Creek. The 6lvision advised the
company to operate fn such a manner so as to be "1n compliance on the
ground" with the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act.
Subsequently, based on an opinion from the Attorney General's Office, it
was determined that the Terror Creek operation could require a permit.
As a result of site visits on January 25, 1983 and February 2, 1983, the
Divi.ston advised the applicant regarding measures which would have to be
taken, including submittal of a permit application, in order to bring the
operation into compliance with the requirements of the Act.
The Terror Creek application was submitted to the Division on February
14, 1983 and deemed complete on February 23, 1983. Construction of the
facility had been largely completed prior to submittal of the application.
Plans for modifying the application to allow for a new access/haul road
to connect the site with Highway 133 were submitted on March 31, 1983.
The size of the permit area was increased by approximately 2 acres as a
result. Public notice of the revised permit boundary was provided in the
March 31, 1983 edition of the North Fork Times. information provided in
the permit applitation and information submitted subsequent to original
submittal and incorporated into the application have allowed the Dfvtsion
to complete a technical analysts and prepare this findings document.