1993-06-08_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981041

• Permit No: C1981041
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 6/8/1993
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance For RN2
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

February 3, 1993. In March of 1993, the Division verified PCC' s resolution of
many of the adequacy concerns and identified those concerns still requiring
resolution. Powderhorn Coal Company responded with the requested information
received by DMG on March 18, 1993. The Colorado Department of Health (CDOH)
had required PCC to submit a study addressing management of salt loading to
the Colorado River via the Roadside and Cameo operation. Results of the study
were submitted to the DMG on March 1 , 1993, and are entitled "Evaluation of
Alternatives for Management of Salt in Mine Water Discharge. "
The Office of Surface Mining ' s Applicant Violator System (AVS) was queried on
July 18 and 20, 1992 to verify compliance with Rule 2 .03.4 by PCC' s owners and
controllers , and an "issue" recommendation was received. The AVS system was
again checked on May 14, 1993 , and "conditional issue" was recommended.
Additionally, notification was sent to all states in which Powderhorn' s parent
company, Peabody Holding Company, operates coal mines , on February 16, 1993.
One response was received from the State of Kentucky, Department of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, verifying that the permittee is not
blocked from receiving a permit in the State of Kentucky. No other responses
were received by DMG.
Description of the Environment
The Roadside/Cameo Mine complex lies in the alluvial valley of the Colorado
River along Interstate 70 just east of the town of Palisade. Located 12 miles
from Grand Junction, the mines are situated in DeBeque Canyon in the
Bookcliffs , a ridge trending Northwest that is comprised of vari-colored
shales and sandstones . The Bookcliffs border the Grand Valley to the east
where the Colorado River exits the highlands of the cliffs and enters the
valley. Mount Garfield, a prominent peak in the Bookcliffs , lies southwest of
the mine site and serves as the southwestern corner of the Piceance basin to
the north . The mines can be located on the USGS 7. 5 quadrangle maps labeled
"Cameo" and "Palisade. "
Structurally, the Bookcliffs coal field is characterized by a monoclinical
structure with the strata dipping gently to the northeast. Exhibits 13 and 14
of the permit application illustrate the surface geology and structural nature
of the permit area. The mines ' surface facilities are located on and adjacent
to the alluvial valley floor of the Colorado River . The river alluvium ranges
from a clayey to silty sand and contains scattered gravel and cobble-sized
fragments . The depth of the alluvium ranges from nine to sixty feet beneath
the surface disturbed areas .
Historically, the valley has been mined for coal since the late 1800' s , so the
alluvial valley floor has been altered and affected by these operations . The
Cameo power plant, the customer for mined Roadside coal , lies just west of the
mine site along Interstate 70. The valley has been designated as industrial
land use with the alluvial disturbance grandfathered into the permit area .
Nearly the entire surface of the permit area consists of the Mesaverde
Formation, a sequence of interbedded shales , siltstones and sandstones ,
indicative of a marine depositional environment. Further to the south, the
Wasatch and Ohio Creek Formations outcrop on the surface .
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