GENERAL31171 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~~ i The permittee published its notice of submittal of its application for renewal on September 24, October 1, October 8 and October 15, 1993. No public comments were received. The latest Applicant Violator System (ANSI query occurred on January 20, 1994, and the results were favorable for permit renewal approval. Description of the Environment The mine site is located in a plateau area. The elevation of the mine surface facilities range from 7,000 to 7,600 feet. Land use in the area consists of cropland, rangeland, pastureland, and wild- life habitat. Agriculture is practiced in the river valley and usually consists of hay production. Cattle are grazed in the area year round. A large number of large and small mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles are permanent or temporary residents of the area. Of special concern are Golden Eagles, which breed and winter in this area. The Golden Eagle Mine is located in the western limb of the Raton Basin. The Raton Basin is a broad, asymmetric syncline whose axis trends north and south. All mining activities occur in the Raton Formation where the Maxwell Seam is the coal being mined. The Poison Canyon formation unconformably overlies the Raton and has a thickness of approximately 200 feet in the mine area. It occurs as discontinuous outcrops above 8,000 feet. Unconsolidated Quaternary alluvial and colluvial deposits overlie the Raton Formation in the low lying areas. The Raton Formation dips approximately two degrees to the east-northeast. The permit area contains one steep, normal fault trending east-northeast with vertical displacement of approxi- mately 25 feet. The Maxwell Seam lies from 450 to 900 feet below the surface. Immediately above the coal are interbedded sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Interbedded sandstone, shale, and siltstone also underlie the seam. The Purgatoire alluvium is an aquifer of local significance. The rock strata in the area contain groundwater, but are not a significant source of water in the area. The Purgatoire River originates several miles west of the mine in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. It flows into the Arkansas River near Las Animas, Colorado, approximately 1 20 miles northeast of the mine. Portions of the Apache Canyon, Santistevan Canyon, Wet Canyon, and Ciruela Canyon drainages as well as four other small, unnamed drainages are found within the permit area. These basins contain intermittent and ephemeral streams except for Wet Canyon, which is a perennial stream. All of these streams are tributary to the Purgatoire River, which is perennial. The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate. The prevailing wind is from the southwest, and the average annual precipitation is 16.9 inches. The length of the growing season in the area varies from 90 to 110 days. Vegetative communities are of two types in the area of the Golden Eagle Mine; an open pinon- juniper forest/shrubland type, and a low grassland community. The pirion-juniper type dominates 6