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Janet H. Binns <br />March 31, 2004 <br />Page 4 <br />from the same landowner; and then (ii) Subsection (2) by its very terms only applies to <br />the activities of extraction of coal, not reclamation. <br />Section 2.03.6(2) states that: <br />Where the private mineral estate to be mined has heen severed from the <br />private surface estate (in circumstances involving the surface mining of coal or <br />where underground mining activities concurrently involve the surface mining of <br />coal) the application shall also provide, for lands to be affected within the permit <br />area: <br />(a) A copy of the written consent of the surface owner to the extraction of <br />coal by surface mining methods; or <br />(b) A copy of the document of conveyance that expressly grants or <br />reserves the right to extract the coal by surface mining methods; or <br />(c) If the conveyance does not expressly grant the right to extract the coal <br />by surface mining methods, documentation that under the applicable State law, <br />the applicant has the legal authority to extract the coal by these methods. <br />Section 2.03.6(2) requires the submission of actual documents, but it relates <br />solely to situations where the mineral and surface estates have beer, severed.' That is' not <br />the situation here, and thus; this section cannot be the basis for the Division's claim that <br />Empire is required or failed to provide documentation of its right of entry. Perhaps this <br />explains why the more recent letter from the Division, dated January 30, 2004, refers <br />only to subsection (1). <br />As the above discussion demonstrates, Empire's description of the documents and <br />explanation of its legal right of entry were and with this second response, are fully <br />sufficient to meet all the requirements under §34-33-I 10(2)(j) of the Act and Section <br />2.03.6(1) of the Regulations. <br />Empire's responses, statements, descriptions and explanations satisfy the <br />requirements of the Act and the Regulations to demonstrate right of entry, and any <br />further determination of the right of access under CRS §34-33-110(2)(j) and Rule <br />2.03.6(3), is outside the jurisdiction of the Division and properly left to transactions <br />between the parties or to the courts to resolve. <br />