Laserfiche WebLink
<br />7RLA 96-90, 96-91 <br />and 34 S., R. 67 W., Sixth Principal Meridian, Las Anit[es County, Colorado, <br />in which BRI owned or leased the mineral estate. This included about <br />153 aces of land subsequently puxrhased bi' the Tattms in 1988 )alarm as <br />the "Solitario Ranch," part of which overlaid an alltrvial valley floor <br />(AVF) of the Purgatoire River. Irt order to prevent subsidence of the latxi <br />surface from occurring within the AVF, BRI's permit specified an extraction <br />rate of no more than 50 pert;ent of the material iurlerlying that lard by the <br />roan and pillar method. BRI was otherwise permitted to engage in lorrjvrall <br />mining. <br />In May 1988, BRI Proposed to extend its existing i+*+~~*g***~*+~ coal <br />mining operations (]mown as "First North Main") in the Maxwell ca31 seam <br />of the Raton Formation, within its permitted area., northeast tinder the <br />Colorado and.Wyaning Railroad right-of-way, the Purgatoire River, and.the <br />right-of-way for State Highway 12, thereby crossing tinder the tract of ].and <br />vaned by the Tattmis, which is bisected by the highway and the river. That <br />tract of land contains an adobe house, part of. which dates fran the early <br />1900's, which is located south of the river and the highway and northeast <br />of the railroad. 2/ r <br />At the time BRI proposed to extend its operations, the First North <br />Main vroxiCiutgs were located 2,150 feet southwest of the Tattms' horse. <br />FJRI initiated man and pillar mining operations t+*+~~**»th the Tattans' <br />property in May 1988. That operation involved oanstruction of 18-foot- <br />wide, 7.5-foot-high entries, sluxuurling 80-foot-square pillars. However, <br />this mining ceased in July 1988 when productivity decreased and it became <br />tnleCmta[tic to continue mini ' . <br />Ronald K. Thoxgson, a BRI eaQloyee who cotmtextced work for the eotpany <br />in February 1990, explained, in a December 10, 1993, deposition, that he <br />tmderstood that water had acclan~lated in the workings, softening the mine <br />floor and slvaing operations. (Deposition at 27.) He stated that the mine <br />was later sealed off and filled with water, thus preventing access. 3d. <br />at 4. <br />On Novsnber 27, 1990, TS'~ approved Technical Revision No. 15 to F.Q2I's <br />permit, which provided for drilling a 10- to 12-foot diameter airsha£t <br />("NW-1 Shaft") to a depth of 590 feet.in sec. 19, T. 33 S:, R. 67 W., .Sixth <br />2 The horse has plaster interior walls and awire-mesh reinforced cerent <br />stucco coating cm the exterior. The eastern third of the house has torn <br />stories and the rt3[gir,rlor is one story high. There is a partial basement <br />tinder the western third of the house, which was added sanetime after oon- <br />struction of the rest of the house. The retainder of the pause is turier- <br />laid by a shallaa crawl space. At the western end of the horse, there is <br />a short flagstone-covered breezeway which rtuls south to a two-car garage. <br />In the center of the Overall L-shape3 canfigtrration of the horse, breeze- <br />way, and garage .is;a;garden,. enclosed by a.low.adobe wall. <br />151 ~ 288 <br />