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Summary <br />The Review Process <br />On January 14, 1985, the Division issued mining and reclamation permit number C-84-063 to <br />Eastside Coal Company for operation of the Eastside Mine. The decision was based on a written <br />Findings of Compliance published on December 14, 1984. <br />In accordance with Rule 2.08.5, the Division notified the Eastside Coal Company on March 28, <br />1994 of the need to renew the existing permit. The permit renewal application package was <br />received by the Division on June 27, 1994 and was deemed complete on September 7, 1994. <br />Notice of the permit renewal application was published by Eastside Coal Company in the <br />Glenwood Post on September 23 and 30 and October 7, 1994. Comments were received from <br />the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife regarding water use <br />issues. These issues were resolved with the submittal of a consumptive use estimate. A <br />preliminary adequacy letter concerning a minor revision (MR-12) submitted in conjunction with <br />the renewal application was sent to Eastside Coal Company by the Division on November 7, <br />1994. Adequacy responses were sent by Eastside on December 9, 1994. Further adequacy <br />concerns were forwarded to Eastside on December 21, 1994, and the responses were received on <br />January 17, 1995. On January 4, 1995, the Eastside Mine ceased operations and began <br />reclamation of the site. Therefore, many of the concerns in the original adequacy letter written <br />by the Division were deemed irrelevant. The remaining issues were addressed, and the minor <br />revision was approved on January 20, 1995. <br />Because of the reclamation, additional issues regarding the reestablishment of pre-mining <br />drainage in the portal area needed to be addressed. The Division requested that Eastside submit a <br />technical revision to address these concerns before the permit renewal could be approved. The <br />issues were addressed in TR-10, which was approved on May 2, 1995. <br />The Division queried the Applicant Violator System on October 13, 1994, January 19, 1995, and <br />May 9, 1995 for Eastside Coal Company. The AVS recommendation was "Issue." <br />Previous review by the Division of the Eastside mining and reclamation operation has included <br />the original permitting review process, midterm reviews in 1987 and 1992, the fast permit <br />renewal in 1990, and reviews associated with minor and technical revisions. The Division file <br />C-84-063 should be consulted for details of these reviews. <br />Description of the Environment <br />The 299-acre Eastside permit area is located along the bottom of Harvey Gap and on the steep <br />slopes rising to the east of the Harvey Gap Drainage. Elevations range from 6175 feet along <br />Harvey Gap Drainage on the southern permit boundary to approximately 7400 feet in the north- <br />east portion of the permit area. <br />The E seam, which was mined at Eastside, occurs within the Iles Formation of the Upper <br />Cretaceous Mesaverde Group. The major geologic structure in the permit area is the Grand <br />Hogback Monocline. Erosion of overlying strata has resulted in the exposure of resistant <br />2 <br />