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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
<br />Department of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />Phone: 1303) 866-3567
<br />FAX: (303) 832-8106
<br />November 3, 2006
<br />Carl Johnston
<br />Office of Surface Mining
<br />Western Regional Coordinating Center
<br />1999 Broadway, Suite 3320
<br />P.O. Box 46667
<br />Denver, CO 80201-6667
<br />Re: Bowie No. 2 Mine (Permit No. C-1996-083)
<br />Technical Revision Application No. 45 (TR-45)
<br />New Coal Refuse Pile
<br />Dear Mr. Johnston:
<br />COLORADO
<br />DIVISION O F
<br />RECLAMATION
<br />MINING
<br />- &-
<br />SAFETY
<br />Bill Owens
<br />Governor
<br />Russell George
<br />Executive Direcror
<br />Ronald W. Cattany
<br />Division Direttr,r
<br />Natural Resource Trustee
<br />The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33,
<br />Section 116, Paragraph 4, of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on November 3, 2006, an application to revise
<br />coal mining operations at the Bowie No. 2 Mine was considered complete for the purposes of filing. The revision
<br />was submitted by Bowie Resources, LLC. All review and comment periods as provided in the Act and the
<br />Regulations initiate from this date of filing.
<br />[n Technical Revision No. 45 (TR-45), Bowie Resources LLC (BRL) is proposing to construct a new coal mine
<br />waste disposal site, along with the associated topsoil stockpile, soil cover stockpile and drainage structures. The
<br />location of the proposed disposal area is in a field north of the train loadout and south and east of old highway 1.33
<br />and the Fire Mountain Canal. The operations proposed in TR-45 will result in 25 acres of new disturbance, all
<br />within the currently approved permit area and on land owned by BRL. The capacity of the new disposal area will
<br />be 600,000 to 700,000 tons of coal refuse. Coal refuse will be transported over old highway 133 and the Fire
<br />Mountain Canal to the proposed coal waste disposal site by way of an overhead conveyor. The existing Pond J will
<br />be deepened to handle the mnoff from the new disturbance. The aerial extent of Pond J, however, will be
<br />decreased so that the evaporative loss in the pond will be decreased. Also, the dewatering of Pond J will be by
<br />pumping, rather than by the gated valve primary discharge pipe now in use. The coal waste disposal pile will be
<br />permanent and will be reclaimed with a cover of four feet of soil and topsoil material and, then, vegetated.
<br />The underground coal mining operation is on land located approximately 5 miles Northeast of Paonia, Colorado.
<br />The permit area is further described as follows:
<br />Portions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 22, Township 13 South, Range 91 West of the 6th P.M.
<br />Portions of Sections 33 and 34, Township 12 South, Range 91 West of the 6th P.M.
<br />The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map of Bowie.
<br />Because the above referenced technical revision application would alter previously approved permit conditions or
<br />mitigation measures, the Division wishes to coordinate with the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) on evaluation of
<br />the potential for impacts to threatened or endangered species of plants or animals, or wildlife species otherwise
<br />protected by federal law. A copy of the permit section addressing potential effects of the operation to threatened
<br />and endangered (T&E) species is attached. The Division is requesting that OSM prepaze the biological assessment
<br />Office of Office of
<br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines
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