REV102490 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• (6) the Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance for Permit Revision No. 5, Sanborn Creek Mine, C-81-022, of the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology regarding the PAP and the Colorado State program. If you concur with this recommendation, please sign the attached memorandum to the Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management. II. Background The Somerset underground coal mine is located in Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado immediately north of the Town of Somerset, Colorado. The mine has been in operation since 1902 and contains the Somerset and Sanborn Creek mine all within the State's current permit area. The original mining plan for the Somerset Mine for Federal leases C-033301, C-033302, and D-052504 was approved on January 11, 1984. A mining plan modification adding Federal lease C-36446 to the mining plan approval area was approved on May 16, 1985. During the years from 1985 through 1987, however, these Federal ]eases were either relinquished or reassigned to other lessees. Consequently, on April 20, 1988, the Assistant Secretary cancelled the mining plan approval for the Somerset Mine. The Somerset Mine recovered fee coal from the "B" and "C" coal seams by room and • pillar methods and ceased production at the end of 1985. The portal to the mine has been sealed and the associated facilities not needed for future mining reclaimed. No further mining is currently proposed for Che Somerset Mine. In 1991, the Sanborn Creek addition to the Somerset Mine was opened. On March 9, 1993 a mining plan for the Sanborn Creek Mine for Federal lease COC-53510 was approved. Current mining operations at the Sanborn Creek Mine recover coal from the "B" seam at an average production rate of 3.0 million tons per year using longwall mining techniques. Since the March 9, 1993 mining plan approval, approximately 128 acres have been incorporated into the approved mining plan area. These areas did not require Secretarial approval since they did not meet the requirements of 30 CFR 746.18(d). Specifically these areas are located in the Township 13 South, Range 90 West, 6`h PM, Section 2: Lots 10, 11, and 12. These lands are included within the approved mining plan area depicted on the mining plan area map of this mining plan decision document and Attachment 1 of the mining plan approval document. The life of the currently approved mining operations within the Somerset / Sanborn Creek approved permit area is estimated to be 4 months. The mining operations use industry standard longwall mining methods. The average annual production rate is at the • approved maximum production rate of 5.0 million tons per year from the D-2 coal seam.