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<br />SUMMARY
<br />The Review Process, Description of the Environment
<br />and
<br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan
<br />The Review Process
<br />Trapper Mining, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Utah International,
<br />Inc., is applying for a permit to mine coal under the Colorado
<br />Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act at the Trapper Mine. The mine is located
<br />in Moffat County, Colorado, approximately five miles southwest of the city of
<br />Craig, south of Highway 13/789. The proposed permit area includes the following:
<br />portions of Sections 5 and 6 in TSN, R90W; portions of Sections 1 and 5, and all
<br />of Sections 2, 3, and 4 in TSN, R91W; portions of Sections 30 and 32, and all
<br />of Section 31 in T6N, R90W; and portions of Sections 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
<br />and 32 through 36 in T6N, R9IW.
<br />Environmental studies for the Trapper Mine were begun in 1972, while facilities
<br />construction cormnenced in 1975. Mining operations began in 1977, and the
<br />Trapper Mine was operating under a permit (No. 76-11) approved by the
<br />Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board on May 28, 1976. Utah International, Inc.
<br />submitted an application for a new permit on February 2, 1981, pursuant to
<br />Section 34-33-109 of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act
<br />(hereafter, "the Act"). Since that time, the application has been under review
<br />by the staff of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division (hereafter, "the
<br />Division") to determine compliance with the Act and the Rules and Regulations
<br />of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining.
<br />On April 10, 1981, the Division sent a letter to Utah International, Inc.,
<br />identifying deficiencies in the application which were noted during the prelimi-
<br />nary adequacy review. Resolution of these deficiencies was necessary for the
<br />Division to make determinations of compliance. Utah international, Inc.
<br />responded to the continents in a meeting with the Division staff on May 6, 1981,
<br />and submitted responses to the majority of the Division comments on June 29, 1981.
<br />Additional information and responses were submitted as completed.
<br />Additional concerns were identified during the course of the review and were
<br />addressed in meetings between Utah International, Inc. and the Division staff
<br />in July, October, and December, 1981, and January, May, and July, 1982.
<br />This document represents the culmination of the review process by the Division,
<br />and these findings reflect the incorporation of all information and discussion
<br />to date.
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