GENERAL35442 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

r On November 9, 1984, Powderhorn Coal Company submitted plans for a permit revision to construct two new coal processing waste embankments to be located west of the Cameo refuse pile. Powderhorn Coal Company published a notice of the filing of the .application during the period of December 5, through 26, 1984. Preliminary adequacy review comments delineating deficiencies in the application were sent to the applicant on December 6, 1984 and January 11, 1985. Powderhorn Coal Company adequately responded to all of the Division's concerns on March 11, 1985 and as a result, the Division proposes to approve the permit revision application with stipulations. Environmental Description The Roadside and Cameo mines are located within the Bookcliffs coal field, which is an outcropping of the Mesaverde Group. The Bookcliffs coal field is situated on the southern rim of the Uinta Basin. The coal is mined from the Cameo B seam which directly overlies the Rollins Sandstone. Surface elevations within the permit area range from 4,800 feet to 7,700 feet. Additional information on geology can be found in Section IV of this document. Three stratigraphic units can be considered as aquifers: the stratum above the coal seam, the Cameo coal seam, and the Rollins Sandstone. The Roadside mine plan area is up-dip of the Colorado River. Therefore, the aquifers in the Roadside mine plan area discharge water to the Colorado River, and the aquifers in the Cameo mine plan area receive recharge water from the Colorado River. Additional information on groundwater can be found in Section VI of this document. The Colorado River splits the permit area and the Roadside and Cameo mine plan areas. The Colorado River is the only perennial stream that flows through the permit area. Three ephermeral drainages, Coal Creek, Jerry Creek and an unnamed drainage, are present on the Cameo mine permit area. The Roadside mine will undermine two intermittent streams; Rapid Creek and Cottonwood Creek. Additional surface water hydrology information can be found in Section V of this document. Soils in the general area are commonly high in sodium and, occasionally, saline. This is reflected in the sparse vegetation in the surrounding area. Variability of the characteristics of the soils on the permit area is primarily due to slope, aspect and topography. Deeper soils (greater than 60 inches) are located in the valley bottoms and the shallower soils (0-40 inches in depth) occupy the side slopes of the canyons. Further information on soils can be found in Section X of this document. The permit area receives less than 9 inches of precipitation annually and is characterized by moderately cold winters and warm summers. January and July temperatures average 27 degrees and 79 degrees respectively. The mesas and slopes at the base of the canyons in the area support sparse salt desert vegetation, including grasses such as galleta (Hilaria 'amp esii), Indian ricegrass•(Oryzopsis) h enoides) and squirrel tail Sitanion h strix), and shrubs such as winterfat eratoides Janata), shadsca a tr~e~ confertifolia), big sagebrush Artemisia trident at a) and fourwing saltbrush Atrip ex canescens). The riparian ne a Jac coo the Colorado River -5-