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Summary
<br />History
<br />The Roadside North and South Portal Mines (formerly known as the Roadside and Cameo Mines) is an
<br />underground coal mining operation located in Mesa County, approximately three miles northeast of Palisade,
<br />Colorado, adjacent to Interstate 70 and the Colorado River, at the Cameo exit in DeBeque Canyon. There has
<br />been no coal extraction at the mine since December 1999. With the exception of the train loadout facility, the
<br />operation is in permanent cessation. The train loadout facility is currently (August 2003) in temporary
<br />cessation, with the possibility that the facility would be re-activated for loading of coal from other permitted
<br />coal operations in the region.
<br />Extensive reclamation work has been conducted at the mine since coal extraction ceased, much of the work
<br />performed after acquisition of the operation by Snowcap Coal Company (SCC) in 2001/2002. During active
<br />operations, mine portals, coal processing facilities, and a coal mine waste disposal area were located south and
<br />east of the interstate, and river. Additional mine portals, coal handling facilities, two coal mine waste disposal
<br />azeas, and a rail loadout facility, were located north and west of the river. At present (August 2003), the North
<br />Portals have been sealed and backfilled, North Portal facilities demolished, and backfilling and grading of the
<br />North Portal facilities azea lazgely completed. One of the two coal waste disposal azeas north and west of the
<br />river in Coal Canyon has been fully reclaimed, and the other has been lazgely reclaimed. At the South Mine,
<br />located south and east of I-70, the South Portal has been sealed, the coal processing plant and various other
<br />facilities have been demolished and removed, and the refuse disposal azea has been fully reclaimed.
<br />Reclamation operations aze continuing, and, with the exception of the rail loadout and associated electrical
<br />facilities, reclamation operations are to be largely completed by the end of 2004.
<br />The DeBeque Canyon azea within and adjacent to the current permit azea has been historically disturbed by
<br />coal mining activities since the late 1800's, and the Colorado River alluvial valley floor area which has been
<br />altered and affected by these operations has been "grandfathered" into the permit azea. The Cameo Power
<br />Plant, which was a customer for coal from the Roadside Portals when the mine was operating, is located just
<br />south of the North Portal facilities, on the west side of the river.
<br />GEX Colorado, Inc. submitted the original permanent program pemrit application for the Roadside and Cameo
<br />Mines on Febmary 17, 1981, pursuant to Section 34-33-109 of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation
<br />Act. On December 31, 1981, the Roadside and Cameo Mines were purchased by Powderhom Coal Company
<br />(PCC). Following the review process for the initial permanent program pemut application, the Division issued
<br />a pemut with stipulations on January 3, 1983.
<br />On November 9, 1984, Powderhom Coal Company submitted plans for a pemrit revision to construct two new
<br />coal processing waste embanlanents to be located north (CRDA-2) and west (CRDA-3) of the existing Cameo
<br />Refuse Disposal Area (CRDA-1). This revision was approved on Mazch 11, 1985.
<br />In October 1986, Powderhom Coal Company notified the Division of temporary cessation ofoperations at the
<br />Roadside and Cameo Mines. In eazly 1987, Peabody Holding Company (Peabody) purchased the inactive
<br />Roadside and Cameo Mines. Peabody retained the Powderhom Coal Company name for the company. On
<br />Apri12Q 1989, Powderhom Coal Company (PCC) notified the Division of its intent to emerge from temporary
<br />cessation status on May 1, 1989. The mine was active from that date, until December, 1999, producing up to
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