GENERAL31451

• Permit No: C1981038
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 2/19/1992
• Doc Name: Midterm Review Findings Document
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Section I - History
Cyprus Orchard Valley Coal Corporation currently operates the Orchard Valley
and Orchard Valley West mines under Permit No. C-81-038. The Orchard Valley
Mine permit application was originally submitted on September 30, 1977 and was
determined to be complete on October 7, 1977. The permit application was
approved by the Mined Land Reclamation Board under the interim program on
April 27, 1978. A modified permit application to comply with the proposed
Colorado Permanent Regulatory Program was submitted on June 18, 1979 and
revised on February 17, 1981. The Division then published its proposed
decision approving the application with 25 stipulations on August 20, 1981.
The Permanent Program Permit No. C-038-81 was issued on September 24, 1981.
A permit revision application to incorporate 480 acres into the permit area of
Permit No. C-81-38 was submitted to the Division on November 18, 1982 and was
determined to be complete on November 26, 1982. CWI's application included
information from the adjacent Orchard Valley Permit C-81-038 as well as the
permit revision area. The Division published its proposed decision to approve
the permit revision with eight stipulations on March 21, 1983. Permit
No. C-038-83, which superseded Permit No. C-81-038, was issued by the Division
on April 20, 1983.
On August 29, 1984, Colorado Westmoreland Inc. submitted a permit revision to
their existing Permit No. C-83-038. The permit revision incorporated an
additional 5,119.7 acres of adjacent federal coal (Lease C-37210) into the
mine permit area. CWI planned to mine this coal by extending the existing
mine workings north and west into these areas.
On June 1, 1986, the Orchard Valley Mine experienced a mine fire that
necessitated the closure of the mine portals. Because of the high potential
for re-ignition of the workings if the portals were reopened, an alternative
portal area was chosen. A permit revision was submitted August 18, 1986
proposing the construction of a temporary portal in an area west of the
existing facilities in the East Roatcap Creek drainage. This portal was
originally proposed to remain active for approximately two years after
construction but market conditions necessitate its use through 1993.
Thereafter, it will be used for a ventilation shaft and emergency escapeway.
The August 18, 1986 revision also had provisions for the construction of a
haul road from Stevens Gulch to the proposed portal site. The entries of the
portals run northwest until they intercept the sub-main entries of the
previously approved mine plan. A "Findings of Compliance" was issued on
October 12, 1986, superseding the findings proposed on June 20, 1985 for
Permit No. C-83-038. The document also took into consideration any
stipulations imposed on Permit C-83-038 by reinforcing those stipulations that
still applied.
On November 5, 1987, Colorado Westmoreland Inc.'s application for renewal of a
valid and existing permit to conduct coal mining operations, Permit No.
C-038-83, was deemed complete. The Division published its proposed decision
to approve the revision with ten stipulations on August 4, 1988 and amended
the permit decision of March 21, 1983 by re-numbering the permit as C-81-038
to ensure consistency within the MLRD files. Permit C-81-038 was issued by
the Division on July 21, 1988. This date was in error. The permit issuance
should have been back-dated to April 20, 1988. (We will remedy this situation
by correcting the decision date of the upcoming permit renewal from
July 21, 1993 to April 20, 1993.)
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