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Page G-2 Historical Coal Mining Activity August 1999
<br />were sealed, surface facilities removed, and the area regraded and seeded. At the same time,
<br />Bear Coal Company purchased the old Edwards mining property and developed the Bear No. 3
<br />Mine. The portals for the Bear No. 3 Mine were located in the SEY,, SEY,, Section 8, T13S,
<br />R90W. The Bear No. 3 Mine operated from 1981 through 1996 producing a total 2,136,345
<br />tons, for an annual average production of 213,635 tons. The Bear No. 3 Mine was closed in
<br />1996, the portals were sealed, and reclamation at the site began.
<br />A unique historical aspect of the Bear No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Mines is the fact that they were
<br />run by a single family operation, the Bear Coal Company, originally Tony and Virginia Bear, and
<br />later their son William Bear. Four generations of the Bear family worked at these operations.
<br />Blue Ribbon Mine
<br />The old Blue Ribbon Mine operated from 1952 until 1963 and was located in the NEY., NW'/,,
<br />Section 2, T13S, R91 W. During that time, the mine produced only 35,805 tons, or an average
<br />of approximately 3,255 tons per year. The mine produced coal for local markets using a
<br />conventional "cut and shoot" method. The old Blue Ribbon Mine produced from the E seam or
<br />the "Hawk's Nest" seam.
<br />The modern day Blue Ribbon Mine was located immediately adjacent to the old Blue Ribbon
<br />Mine. It operated from 1977 through 1985. During that time, the mine produced 922,858 tons,
<br />or an average of 115,357 tons per year. The mine was closed and reclaimed in 1986. The
<br />mine produced coal with modern continuous miners. Coal was transported from the face with
<br />electric shuttle cars. eett conveyors were used to transport the coal to the surface. Electric
<br />power was supplied to the mine by on-site diesel generators. Like tts predecessor, the mine
<br />produced from the E seam or "Hawk's Nest": seam.
<br />• Bowie No. 1 Mine and Coal Loadout
<br />The Bowie No. 1 Mine and the Bowie No. 1 Coal Loadout were originally developed and
<br />operated by Colorado Westmoreland Inc. as the Orchard Valley Mine and Loadout. In 1994,
<br />these facilities were sold to Cyprus Coal Company who operated the mine until 1997,
<br />whereupon tt was sold to Bowie Resources, Ltd. The Bowie No. 1 Mine is presently idle, with
<br />no coal production from this mining operation since 1996. The mine was operated as a room
<br />and pillar operation, and has a capacity to produce approximately 1.5 million tons of coal per
<br />year. When operating, the coal was hauled from the mine portal area to the coal loadout facility
<br />near Paonia.
<br />The Bowie No. 1 Coal Loadout was constructed by the Colorado Westmoreland Inc.. This
<br />facility is presently receiving coal from the Bowie No. 2 Mine. Coal is hauled currently to the
<br />loadout with highway trucks under a contract between Bowie Resources, Ltd. and Savage
<br />Trucking, Inc. The Bowie coal loadout includes a truck dump area, conveyors, three silos with a
<br />capacity of 7,000 tons each, and a batch loadout tower for loading railroad cars.
<br />Bowie No. 2 Mine
<br />The old Fling Mine and associated facilities were purchased from Adolph Coors Company by
<br />Bowie Resources Ltd. in 1996. Bowie developed a new portal facility on the D seam,
<br />designated as the Bowie No. 2 portal. The mine presently uses room and pillar mining
<br />• techniques, but plans to install a longwall system in 1999. The mine produced 1.2 million tons
<br />of coal in 1998; but, with the new longwall system, production could be increased up to 5 million
<br />North Fork Coal • Dratt Environmental Impact Statement
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