REV06569

• Permit No: C1982057
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 1/27/2004
• Doc Name: Response to Comments
• From: Seneca Coal Company
• To: DMG
• Type & Sequence: TR47
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

iG~~
ENECA
coa~comps~r Seneca Coal Company
January 23, 2004
Mr. Dan Mathews
Division of Minerals and Geology
101 South 3~, Ste 301
Grand Junction, CO 81501
[phone]
RECE9~'E~
JAN 2 7 2004
RE• Seneca II-W Mine Permit C-82-057 Givision of Minerals and Geolog~~
Technical Revision 47 (TR-47), Response to Comments t~-ee~atd ~n C-,rgnd 7ttoc~~o,-~
Dear Mr. Mathews,
Enclosed please find two (2) copies of revised and/or additional information addressing the
comments and requests in your January 7; 20041etter regarding TR-47 (Aspen Study Plan). A third
copy has been sent to the Division's Denver office also addressed to you. The responses to each of
your comments and requests are provided below and aze numbered accordingly.
Please amend the narrative rettionr an page 23 and 23a regarding the `motherplant" coniept foi aspen saplings,
ar necerrary to earurc that the approach and sperifrcatiora are torrriKent with the plan desnibed in Section 8.0 of
amended Appendix 22-3. Also, please amend Planting Litt 3, an page 24, to include a specified minimum
number of aspen 'motherplants" to be planted within each of the arptn planting anar designated on Exhibit 22-
7A.
Response: Upon review of the discussions on pages 23 and 23a, SCC believes that the discussion is
consistent with the discussions conducted and the proposed testing program. The viability of the
mother plant concept has not been tested so we are reluctant to specify exact numbers to be planted
on Planting List 3.
2. Narrative an amendedpage 23a erroneously indicates that {oil for the aspen testplots war laid dawn in October
and November 2002. The rail war actually plated in 2003, and the error should be corrected
Response: The date has been corrected.
3. Certain details were omitted from Section 3.0 Studv Der~n, ar compared to the currently approved version of the
plan, and certain alterations were made without explanation. Please amend the section io specify the soil thicknut
within the study plots, and address supplemental planting (Ilst 3) and broadcast reeding (Mix 6). Please include
appropriate detail on sapling selection criteria and planting technigue. Finally, please addnit the reason that
direct planting of saplings into the study plots in fal! was selected, rather than storage in mulched beds aver winter
with Erna! planting in spring, ar had been originally recommended by Dr. Shepperd.
Response: Discussion regarding soil thickness and supplemental planting has been inserted into the
Study Plan text.
Sapling selection is addressed, in order of preference, in Section 2.0, Methods, while a discussion of
the planting technique has been included in Section 3.0, Study Design.
After discussion with Dr. Shepperd on December 11, 2003, he concurred and recommended a direct
dig-move-plant in the same day if possible. The storage was only necessary if the test plot area was
not ready forplandng. The area will be ready in 2004.
Seneca Coal Company • P.O. Box 670 • Hayden, Colorado 81639
Telephone [phone] • FAX [phone]