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iii iiiiiiiiiiiii iii • <br />999 <br /> <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Depaoment of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman 51., Roum 11 5 <br />Denver, Colorado 80101 <br />Phone: 13031 866-3567 <br />FAX: 13071 83?-8106 <br />February 4, 1997 <br />Mr. Paul H. Draper <br />Routt County Road & Bridge <br />P.O. Box 773598 <br />Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 <br />RE: Yoast Mine (C-94-082) <br />Routt County Road 27a <br />Deaz Mr. Draper, <br />• <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />~~ <br />DEPARTMENT OF <br />NATURAL <br />RESOURCE <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br />lames S. Lochhead <br />Eaecuuve Duecror <br />M¢hael B. Long <br />Division Director <br />The Division of Minerals and Geology recently received a reclamation plan from Seneca Coal <br />Company for the road cut associated with Routt County Road 27a (RCR 27a). As you are awaze, <br />the road was widened to facilitate the dragline move from the Seneca II Mine to the Yoast Mine <br />in September of 1996. The Division issued a Notice of. Violation (NOV) to Seneca Coal <br />Company for conducting mining related activities outside the permit boundary. The steps <br />necessary to abate the violation were to submit a reclamation plan on the disturbance which <br />included a stability analysis of the road cut slope along RCR 27a. <br />The Division received a copy of the letter you addressed to Michael Altavilla, dated January 2, <br />1997 regarding the stability of the road cut. In your letter it states that while the slope is steep, <br />approximately 1:1, it does not appear to be inherently unstable and that if in fact a slough did <br />occur, Seneca would be required to cleaz the material and reestablish the borrow ditch. <br />Under the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining, cut <br />slopes or backfilled slopes must meet a minimum static safety factor of 1.3. The issues <br />surrounding reclamation of RCR 27a are unusual because it is outside the permit area and is <br />considered a public road which is not regulated by the Division. However, the road cut was <br />disturbed to facilitate the dragline move, which is considered to be coal mining activity. It is the <br />Divisions presumption that Routt County is responsible for the current and future maintenance <br />and liability of RCR 27a, and any stability issues related to the road cu[. The Division wishes <br />to verify that Routt County is satisfied with [he stability of the road cut in its present state for <br />any current and future maintenance and liability associated with RCR 27a. <br />