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Description of the Environment
<br />The Foidel Creek Mine is located approximately 22 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs, in
<br />Routt County, Colorado. The permit area varies in elevation from 6,600' to 7,500' with the portal
<br />openings at 6,885' along Foidel Creek. Located in a geologic basin (Twentymile Park), the
<br />topography generally consists of gently rolling hills, dip slopes and cliff outcrops. Flatter
<br />topography is evident in the valleys of the major streams draining the area (Fish Creek and Foidel
<br />Creek), as well as along the gentle dip slopes. Prominent cliffs have formed where massive
<br />sandstone units outcrop. Coal is presently, and has historically been, mined under other approved
<br />permits by surface methods on the dip slopes, where overburden thickness allows for economic
<br />extraction within Twentymile Park azound its mazgins, and where folding has elevated a major
<br />coal seam within the basin. Foidel Creek Mine is currently the only active underground operation
<br />within Twentymile Pazk. The mine is a longwall operation, using continuous miners for entry and
<br />development work.
<br />As of the date of this proposed revision, the permit azea encompasses approximately 19,940
<br />acres. By PR-07, TCC does not propose to enlarge the permit boundary or surface areas
<br />permitted to be disturbed (except for effects of subsidence). The proposed revision expands the
<br />affected area of the permit by 320 acres, to a total of 16,026. Surface disturbance remains as
<br />permitted at 510 acres.°
<br />USGS Quadrangle maps of Milner and Rattlesnake Butte cover the majority of the permit azea.
<br />USGS Quadrangle maps Cow Creek, Dunckley, Mount Harris, and Oak Creek cover other
<br />portions of the permit area. Disturbed azeas of the mine include the main surface facilities azea
<br />along Foidel Creek and numerous smaller outlying facilities. The main mine facilities lie in
<br />Sections 29, 31, 32, TSN, R86W of the 6th Principle Meridian and are located in, and adjacent
<br />to, a strip pit excavated originally by Colorado Yampa Coal Company's (CYCC) surface mining
<br />operation (No. C-81-071). Other facilities currently within the permit area, but sepazate from the
<br />main portal facility azea, include: the Fish Creek Borehole (FCB) facility, the Southwest
<br />ventilation facility (SW vent), the Eastern Mining District ventilation facility (EMD vent), the
<br />North West (NW) Mains Ventilation Shaft, the 18-Right Ventilation Shaft, the 6-Mains North
<br />Ventilation Shaft, the No. 7 North Escape Shaft, the Eastern Mining District dewatering facility
<br />(EMD borehole), the Sandstones substation and North Escape Shaft, the Fish Creek Tipple
<br />(FCT) facility, the Eastem Mining District grout hole pad, the Northern Mining District (NMD)
<br />vent shaft and a number of roads and pipelines.
<br />The FCB is located on Fish Creek approximately 2 miles northwest of the main facility area in
<br />Section 25, TSN R87W. It consists of 2 dewatering boreholes, an inactive ventilation shaft, 3
<br />treatment ponds, associated roads, a substation, a utility building, and water treatment equipment.
<br />The SW vent was reclaimed in 1996 and is located in Section 36, TSN R87W. The EMD vent
<br />facility is located in Section 14, TSN R86W and consists of two ventilation shafts (intake air and
<br />return air), intake air heating unit, associated buildings, powerlines, and fuel tank. The EMD
<br />borehole disturbed azea is located in Section 21, TSN R86W and consists of a small pump
<br />building, a buried water return line and topsoil stockpiles. The Sandstones substation in Section
<br />A11 area figures as recorded in the DBMS data base
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