GENERAL36171

• Permit No: C1982055
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 12/9/2005
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for SL5
• From: Full Phase II/III
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

characterized by pinyon pine, juniper, and Gambel's oak is found. Dominance of
individual species is variable and determined by abiotic (slope, aspect), and
biotic (grazing pressure, species tolerance) factors. No characteristic vegetative
community exists in the vicinity of the ephemeral Starkville drainage.
A number of small underground mines were operated in the immediate vicinity of
the Raton Creek Mine site from the late 1800's into the early 1900's. In 1978,
the Animas Coal Company opened a small underground operation called the
Helen Mine. An interim mining permit was issued to the Animas Coal Company,
Inc. for the Helen Mine on February 28, 1979, pursuant to the Colorado Mined
Land Reclamation Act. Operations continued under this permit until August 15,
1981, when the interim permit expired and the company ceased operation.
Sundance Coal Company purchased the operation in April 1982. The name of
the mine was changed from the Helen Mine to the Animas Mine. On August 16,
1982, permanent program permit no. C-82-055 was issued to Sundance Coal
Company for the Animas Mine.
After the acquisition of the property, Sundance Coal Company opened the
Animas Mine on the south face of Starkville Gulch in the lower Starkville seam.
The mine was later driven upward into the upper Starkville seam. Sundance
Coal Company also opened, and briefly operated, a new Helen Mine in the lower
Starkville seam on the north face of Starkville Gulch. The new Helen Mine was
located west of the earlier Animas Coal Company, Inc. operation. On
July 9, 1984, Sundance Coal Company notified the Division that operations at
the Animas/Helen Mine complex were temporarily suspended. Sundance Coal
Company subsequently filed a complete application for renewal of their permit on
April 7, 1987. On April 30, 1987, during the Division's adequacy review of the
application, the Animas Mine was sold by Sundance Coal Company to Raton
Creek Associates, Ltd., a limited partnership. On the date of the sale, a request
for transfer of the permit for the Animas Mine, from Sundance Coal Company to
Energy Fuels Mining Company (EFMC), was submitted to the Division. The
Division approved the transfer of the permit to Energy Fuels Mining Company on
September 18, 1987.
Coal was mined, processed, and shipped from September 1988 to May 1990.
Coal was mined only from the Animas portals. During operations, coal was
mined from five portals in the Lower Starkville seam using the room and pillar
method. Both conventional and continuous equipment was used. Coal was
transported to the surface on a 36-inch belt conveyor. Coal was stockpiled and
transported to the preparation plant or to customers directly. Refuse from the
prep plant was permanently deposited in the refuse pile located in the northwest
portion of the disturbed area.
On May 24, 1990, the Division received notification of the temporary cessation of
operations due to economic factors. Shortly after this notification, reclamation
work began at the mine site and the Burlington Northern loadout located in
Trinidad. In June 1991 the Animas portals were sealed. In November 1991 the
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