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Summary <br />The Review Process <br />The New Horizon 1 and 2 Mines, formerly Nucla and Nucla East, were purchased from <br />Peabody Coal Company by Western Fuels-Colorado, a Limited Liability Company. The <br />transfer of ownership and succession of operator was completed on May 15, 1992. Both <br />mines are located in Montrose County (Figure 1). <br />The original permit for C-81-008 was submitted by Peabody on January 9, 1981 and was <br />approved by the Division on April 14, 1983. The permit was subsequently renewed for an <br />additional 5 year term by the Division in May of 1988. On April 29, 1988, Peabody <br />submitted a Permit Revision to add an additiona1220 acres to the permit (formerly Nucla <br />East, now New Horizon Mine 2). This revision was approved on February 28, 1989. On <br />April 26, 1993, the Division approved the second additional five-year renewal for Western <br />Fuels of Colorado. <br />On January 18, 1994, the Division received an application for a permit revision (reclamation <br />only for Mine Area 1) to satisfy Stipulation No. 9 of the April 19, 1993 Findings Document. <br />On March 29, 1994, the Division sent an adequacy review to Western Fuels of Colorado and <br />on April 15, 1994, the Division received final comments from WFC. Alli issues had been <br />adequately addressed with the receipt of these fmal comments. <br />Description of the Environment <br />Introduction <br />The New Horizon Mine 1 permit area encompasses 426.6 acres. The New Horizon Mine 2 <br />area encompasses 219.9 acres for a total permit area of 646.5 acres. The topography is <br />gently sloping with a few small ridges and swales. Most of the land surrounding the permit <br />azea is agricultural and is used primarily for irrigated and non-irrigated farmland which <br />produces alfalfa and pasture grasses. The New Horizon Mine 1 area has been reclaimed and <br />therefore is being returned to pastureland and/or wildlife habitat. <br />The mine is located within the southeast portion of the Colorado Plateau. The region is <br />characterized by broad, fairly smooth surfaced plateaus and mesas with gently dipping slopes <br />dissected by steep canyons. Surface elevations at the New Horizon Mine 1 range from a <br />high of 5,767 feet (MSL) in the northwest part of the permit area to a low of slightly less <br />than 5,672 feet on the southeast part of the permit area along Tuttle Draw (see the attached <br />Index Map Figure 1). Total topographic relief for the New Horizon 1 ana is about 95 feet. <br />Surface elevations at the New Horizon Mine 2 area range from a high of 5,760 feet (MSL) <br />in the northwest part to a low of 5,642 feet in the southeast part along Calamity Draw for a <br />total relief of about 110 feet. <br />3 <br />