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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
<br />Department of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 C O L D RA D O
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203 DIVISION O F
<br />Phone: (303) 86(x3567 M' I N S RA L S
<br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 G E O L O G Y
<br /> REC LANATION•NINING
<br /> tAf ETY•SCIENCE
<br />October l I, 2005
<br /> Bill tTvens
<br />Dave Lazorchek covemor
<br />U.S. Bureau of Land Management Ru::ell George
<br />Gunnison Field Office Executive Director
<br />216 N. Colorado Ronald W. Cattany
<br />Gunnison
<br />CO 81230 Division Director
<br />, Natural Resource Trustee
<br />Re: West Elk Mine (Permit No. C-1980.007)
<br />Technical Revision Application No. 105 (TR-l05)
<br />Vent Shafts at Refuse Pile Expansion
<br />Dear Mr. Lazorchek:
<br />The Division of Minerals and Geology hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33, Section 116, Paragraph 4,
<br />of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on October 11, 2005, an application to revise coal mining operations at the West Elk
<br />Mine was considered complete for the purposes of filing. The revision was submitted by Mountain Coal Company, LLC. All
<br />review and comment periods as provided in the Act and the Regulations initiate from this date of filing.
<br />The mine operator proposes to bore two vertical shafts from a pad that is to be constructed on a hillslope above one of the
<br />mine's sediment control ponds that is next to Highway 133, 2 miles east of Somerset, Colorado. The proposed shaft site is in
<br />SEl/4 Section 10 and NEI/4 Section I5, T.13S., R.90W., in Gunnison County. The operator proposes to bore the shafts on an
<br />approximate L5-acre parcel of land owned by the mine operator within the existing mine permit boundary, and does not
<br />propose to add disturbed azea. The purpose of the shafts will be to provide ventilation to the West Elk Mine underground
<br />workings.
<br />The underground coal mining operation is on land located approximately 9 miles East of Paonia, Colorado. The permit area is
<br />further described as follows:
<br />Portions of Section 29, 30, 31, and 32, Township 12 South, Range 90 West;
<br />Portions of Sections 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36, Township l2 South, Range 91 West;
<br />Portions of Sections I, 2, 3, 4, 5, all of 6 and 7, Portions North of the North Fork of the Gunnison River in Sections 8, 9, 1 Q
<br />portions of Sections I I, 12, 17, and 18, Township 13 South, Range 90 West;
<br />Portions of Sections I-3, 1 I-13, Township 13 South, Range 91 West;
<br />Portions of Sections 6 & 7, Township 13 South, Range 89 West of the 6th P.M.
<br />The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map of Somerset.
<br />The applicant is required to publish notice in a local newspaper that this application has been deemed complete. At the time of
<br />publication of this notice, the applicant is additionally required to place a copy of [his application at the Gunnison County Clerk
<br />and Recorder, 200 E. Virginia, Gunnison, CO 81230, and at the Division office. For additional information or to provide
<br />written comments, contact the Division of Minerals and Geology, Room 215, 1313 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado 80203,
<br />(303) 866-3567. In order for us to comply with regulatory time frames, we request that comments be submitted within fifteen
<br />(I S) days of this letter. If no comments are received by then, we will proceed on the assumption that you have no concerns
<br />with, or objections to, the applicant's proposal.
<br />Sincerely,
<br />T...~t,, f~~
<br />Tom Kaldenbach
<br />Environmental Protection Sperial'ct _
<br />C-TR-~~'~' ~07 TAK 2005101 131717 PM Office of Colorado
<br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey
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