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Permit Renewal No. 4 Review Process
<br />Snowcap Coal Company, Ina (SCC) submitted an application for renewal of Permit C-81-041 (RN-04), on
<br />June 5, 2002. The submittal included a renewal application form, certificate of insurance, and proposed public
<br />notice. The application was deemed complete on June 14, 2002, and notices were provided to various local,
<br />state, and federal agencies on that date. Public notice of the application was published in the Grand Junction
<br />Daily Sentinel once a week for four consecutive weeks, beginning June 24, 2002. Copies of the application
<br />were filed with the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's Office, and at the Denver and Grand Junction offices of
<br />the Division. Written comments were received during the review period from the law firm of Dufford,
<br />Waldeck, Milburn & Krohn, L.L.P. representing the Palisade Irrigation District, the Bureau of Land
<br />Management (BLM) Grand Junction Resource Area Office, and the State Historic Preservation Officer
<br />(SHPO). The law firm letter requested a copy of the proposed decision on the renewal application. The BLM
<br />letter requested that certain road culverts be retained to facilitate post-mining access to BLM lands, and also
<br />included recommendations to modify the final alignment of the stream channel below the upper Coal Creek
<br />crossing and to improve the culvert crossing installation. The SHPO letter indicated that the renewal
<br />application would have no effect to historic properties. The comment letters were forwazded to the operator.
<br />The Division's adequacy review was conducted with the following sequence of adequacy review letters,
<br />agency correspondence, and response submittals from PCC.
<br />June 14, 2002-Notices of availability for review and request for comments provided to Mesa County
<br />Planning Department, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Colorado Geological Survey, Bureau
<br />of Land Management (BLM), Office of Surface Mining (OSM), Colorado Natural Heritage Inventory, U. S.
<br />Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps), Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Dept. of Health/Water
<br />Quality Control Division (CDOH}, Colorado Division of Water Resources, State Board of Land
<br />Commissioners, Mesa County Commissioners, Colorado Historical Society/State Historic Preservation Office
<br />(SHPO), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
<br />June 27, 2002-BLM comments on the renewal application, specifically in regard to culvert
<br />reten6on/stabilization and Coal Creek permanent diversion channel realignment were submitted to the Division
<br />and forwazded to the operator. The Division also received the SHPO comment letter, indicating no effect to
<br />historic properties.
<br />July 16, 2002-The Division completed initial AVS check; no violations linked to Snowcap Coal Company.
<br />July 26, 2002-The Division faxed a copy of the renewal application and certain information on the renewal
<br />process and status of the Roadside operation to the law firm representing the Palisade Irrigation District, in
<br />response to a phone request.
<br />August 15, 2002-The Division received a comment letter from the law fum ofDufl'ord, Waldeck, Milbum &
<br />Krohn, L.L.P., representing the Palisade Irrigation District. The letter requested a copy of the Division's
<br />proposed decision on the renewal, as soon as it becomes available.
<br />October 28, 2002-The Division's preliminary adequacy review letter (PAR) was forwazded to PCC, and
<br />copied to the law fim~ representing the Palisade Irrigation District. The Division's reclamation cost estimate
<br />for RN-04 was enclosed with the PAR. The PAR requested updates and clarifications to various sections of
<br />the approved permit application package, to more accurately reflect current conditions and operational status.
<br />The Division requested several significant amendments to the reclamation plan, including modified final
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