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Doc Date:1211112001 <br />' U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT <br />FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT <br />for <br />Foidel Creek Mine <br />Federal Leases C-081330, COC-54608 and D-052547 <br />Mining Plan Decision Document <br />A. Introduction <br />Twentymile Coal Company (TCC) submitted a permit application <br />package (PAP) for a permit revision for the Foidel Creek Mine to <br />the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) under the <br />Colorado State program (30 CFR 906). The PAP proposes extending <br />underground mining operations into 894 acres of Federal leases C- <br />081330, COC-54608 and D-052547. The proposed mining plan actions <br />would create 8 acres of additional surface disturbance in the <br />mining plan areas. <br />Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Assistant <br />Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, must approve, <br />• approve with conditions, or disapprove the mining plan <br />actions for Federal leases C-081330, COC-54608 and D-052547. <br />Pursuant to 30 CFR Part 746, the Office of Surface Mining <br />Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is recommending approval <br />of the mining plan actions without conditions. <br />B. Background ~ <br />The Foidel C~-und~fground coal mine is located in Routt <br />County, Col~orado.~lI'he mine has been in operation since <br />1983. About 64 acres ~f the mining plan areas have been <br />affected bye surface di turbance to date. The mining <br />operations utilize longwall mining methods and are mined at <br />an average production rate of about 6-7 million tons per <br />year. Mining is currently planned to continue for less than <br />1 year. <br />A total of about 340 employees work at the mine. <br />The Foidel Creek Mine mining plan for Federal leases C- <br />20900, C-081330, C-0128433, C-16284 and D-052547 was <br />initially approved on January 16, 1987. Since that approval <br />there have been no mining plan modifications for those <br />Federal leases. Anew mining plan was approved on February <br />• 10, 1994 for Federal lease COC-53560. A total of 3667 acres <br />of Federal coal exist in the currently approved mining plan <br />areas. A total of 21.6 million tons of Federal coal exist <br />in the currently approved mining plan areas. A total of 86 <br /> <br />