GENERAL35419

• Permit No: C1984062
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 11/5/1990
• Doc Name: PROPOSED DECISION & FINDINGS OF COMPLIANCE FOR RN1
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Summary
The Review Process
Colorado Yampa Coal Company (CYCC) previously applied for and received a
permit to conduct surface mining and reclamation operations at Energy Mine
No. 3 under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act. The mine is
located in Routt County, Colorado, approximately ten (101 miles southwest of
Steamboat Springs.
Surface coal mining operations began in 1974 at Energy Mine No. 3 and were
continuous through September, 1980. Underground mining was initiated in
May, 1979, at the Middle Creek Mine. The face-up for the underground mine was
a highwall of the strip pit. Geotechnical problems were encountered and
underground mining also ceased in 1980. Both mines were operated by Energy
Fuels Corporation under Permit No. 76-16.
Colorado Yampa Coal Company (formerly Energy Fuels Corporation) submitted a
permit application (C-81-0361 to achieve compliance with Colorado's Permanent
Regulatory Program on February 18, 1981. The permit application included
proposals for surface and underground mining, and plans to operate the tipple
loadout facility on Fish Creek. After submittal, the application was
revised. The original permit application (C-081-036) was separated into two
applications, one for Energy Mine No. 3 and Middle Creek Mines, and the other
for the Fish Creek tipple/loadout. Subsequent to the application revision,
CYCC submitted a new permit applitation (C-84-0621 for the Energy Mine No. 3
and Middle Creek Mine on January 23, 1984. This permit application revised
the previous mine plan. limited surface mining was proposed starting in 1985,
and no underground mining was proposed. CYCC planned to backfill and grade
the Middle Creek portal/pit area. Mining and most reclamation ended in 1986.
The Energy Mine No. 3 permit application did not include the Fish Creek
tipple/loadout facility. Permit application C-81-036 was rewritten to address
only the Fish Creek tipple/loadout facility. This facility, operated by
Twentymile Coal Company, has since been incorporated into the Twentymile Coal
Co. Permit No. C-82-056 for the Foidel Creek Mine.
A letter identifying the inadequacies with the revised permit application
(C-84-0621 was sent to CYCC on March 1, 1984. The Division met with the
applicant on March 16, 1984, to discuss the concerns. Responses were received
by the Division on May 2, 1984. The original permit application was
substantially modified and CYCC proposed a large amount of reclamation work
for 1984. Therefore, it was necessary to permit the activities proposed in
C-84-062 as soon as possible. For this reason, the Division attached several
stipulations to the findings document regarding the remaining concerns. These
were the original sixteen stipulations, all of which have since been resolved.
The permit for Mine No. 3 issued on October 4, 1984. The expiration date was
set at October 4, 1989. The Division notified the operator of the renewal
date, by letter dated January 3, 1989. On April 7, 1989, a complete renewal
application was received, and our initial adequacy review letter was sent to
CYCC on September 15, 1989. A response was received on July 19, 1990, and an
additional adequacy review letter was sent to CYCC on August 8, 1990. An
adequate response was received on October 19, 1990. The original Findings
Document, dated August 2, 1984 was revised to produce this document dated
November 5, 1990.
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