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iii iiiiiiiiiiiu iii 999 ~; ~ energy fuels mining company one tabor center • sure 2500 t 200 seventeenth street • leaver, Colorado 80202 April 30, 1993 (303 623-8317 twx 910-931-2561 Mr. ]oseph J. Dudash Office of Mine Iand Reclamation 1313 Sherman St. Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 P.E: N'atice cf Violaticn Plo. C-93-45 Plan to Stabilize Highwall at Raton Creek No. 1 Mine Portal Area, Abatement of Violation Your File No. C'-82-055 Dear Mr. Dudash: MAY 0 31993 DivisiUn ct l~unerah is Ueoio9Y With Wis letter ]energy Fuels Mining Company ("Energy Fuels") is submitting proposed plans and .., schedule to stabilise the highwall failure cited `in' alleged NOV C-93-45 dated April i 12, ` 7993; for ,. consideration by the,Offce of Mined Land'-Reclamation ("OMtiR")': "' - The~i•eferehced'highwall failure;'oi iockfall; "comprises a 70 feet long section ofsandstoni='formation overlying the upper Starkville seam located above the two southern portals'of th'e Raton Creek No. l Mine. The failed sandstone is approximately 17 feet above ground level entrance to the No. 1 Mine and is approximately 12 to 14 feet in thickness. A.section of the sandstone, ranging from 12 feet wide (east end) to 0 feet wide (west end) had previously slabbed off along its joint structure and fallen into'I the portal azea. A S feet thick section of sandstone behind the fallen area has since slumped for a distance of approximately 40 feet along the previously described rock joint system. This section of sandstone is slowly crushing and breaking and potentially will slough into the portal area with the previous fallen material! No additional failure is evident above and behind the slumped section of sandstone. Energy Fuels believes that stabilizatiun of We subjcxa highwxil area w911 in accomp:ishc.~' by completion of the currently approved reclamation plan for the Raton Creek No. 1 portal area (East portal area). Specifically, the backfilling and grading of the portal area will cover up to and support the existing section of highwall which is failing and extend beyond both ends of the highwall which are currently stable. The fill depth will reach approximately 30 feet against the highwall. The backfill and grading plan for the portal area is fully described on pages 493 through 498 of the approved permit. In addition, post mining topography of the subjut portal area is shown on Map 17 and Map ] 7b in the permit application. Energy Fuels hats recently been working on a reclamation timetable for the Raton) Creek Minesite and has targeted the No. 1 Mine portal area as part of our "Phase I" reclamation schedule.' IA rough draft of a bid request package for Phase I reclamation is complete. Energy Fuels will complete and mail'the bid requests,to bidders on or before May 14, 1993 and commencz reclamation as soon as June 7, 1993 based on contractor availitiility::Sincie the primaryfocus of Phase i~reiaanration concerns backfilling) the No. 1 aline portal area, rapid stabilization of the failing highwall will be made a high priority part of the reclamation project.