Laserfiche WebLink
MINREC, Inc., submitted a permit renewal application for a third five-year permit <br />(RN-03) on October 29, 1997. The application was determined to be complete on <br />November 10, 1997. The Division's preliminary adequacy review letter of February <br />20, 1998, documents various issues addressed during the review. No deficiencies <br />were identified as a result of the review. <br />Description of the Environment <br />Site Description and Land Use-Rule 2.09.3 <br />The Red Canyon Mine is located approximately five miles northwest of Cedaredge, <br />Colorado (Figure 1). The 610-acre permit area lies on the lower south-facing <br />slope of the Grand Mesa, which is on the southern flank of the Piceance Creek <br />Basin. ~ Grand Mesa lies north of the mine and rises over 4,000 feet above the <br />elevation of the portal area in less than 4 1/2 miles. The combination of rising <br />topography and dipping coal beds results in rapidly increasing overburden <br />thickness to the north. <br />The mine elevation is approximately 6,400 feet. Predominately south and west <br />exposures in the surface disturbance area combined with the low precipitation <br />have resulted in poorly developed soils and sparse vegetation in the portal area. <br />The permit area is within the Tongue Creek watershed, a tributary of the Gunnison <br />River. Ward Creek, a perennial stream, and Williams Creek, an intermittent <br />stream, are the major drainages within the permit area. The facilities area is <br />located on an ephemeral tributary of Ward Creek. A number of irrigation ditches <br />operated by the Granby Ditch and Reservoir Company supply water to orchards and <br />pastureland in the Williams and Ward Creek Valleys, and adjacent to the permit <br />area. <br />Pre-mining land use in the 21-acre surface disturbance area associated with the <br />Red Canyon Mine, as well as immediately adjacent areas, was primarily wildlife <br />habitat. Previous surface and underground mining activities have disturbed lands <br />within and adjacent to the surface facilities area. Mining began in the permit <br />area in 1916, and has been intermittent since that time. Grand Mesa Coal Company <br />began mining at the Red Canyon No. 1 Mine in 1977. Land uses adjacent to the Red <br />Canyon Mine include wildlife habitat, irrigated pastureland, and orchards. <br />Pre-mining land use at the Delta Loadout was industrial (a sugar processing <br />plant). <br />During mining operations at the Red Canyon Mine, a 13.65-acre loadout was <br />maintained in Delta, Colorado. The loadout was previously the site of the Holly <br />Sugar plant. The silos and other facilities used by the operator were previously <br />a part of the sugar plant. <br />The reclamation at this site called for cleaning up coal waste, which was done <br />in the fall of 1986. Approximately 4,665 tons of material was hauled to the <br />underground development waste disposal area at the mine site. The plan did not <br />call £or revegetation, as the end land use was industrial and the facilities used <br />by the operator were retained at the site. However, a non-toxic cover material <br />was placed to a depth of 6-12 inches at the site, and the loadout was broadcast <br />seeded with a dry land pasture mix. GMCC's request for bond release of the <br />loadout was approved June 1987. <br />4 <br />