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Summary <br />The Review Process <br />The Division received a complete application for Permit Renewal No. 03 (Reclamation Only Permit) <br />on September 22, 1997. A letter of completeness was sent to the operator on September 26, 1997. <br />Public notification began September 18, 1997, for four consecutive weeks ending October 9, 1997, <br />in the Pagosa Springs Sun newspaper. No comments were received by the Division from the public <br />or private sectors. Staff comments generated in regazd to adequacy issues identified during review <br />of the proposed revision were conveyed to Greystone Development Consultants in a letter dated <br />December 1, 1997. All adequacy issues were resolved with Technical Revision 30. Applicant <br />Violator System problems noted in the adequacy review were finally resolved in March 1998; <br />therefore, the Division is proposing to approve the application for Permit Renewal No. 03. <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Chimney Rock operation is located in southwestem Colorado approximately 22 miles southwest <br />of Pagosa Springs. The permit area lies in the upper rim of the San Juan Basin at an elevation of <br />approximately 6,400 feet. The permitted azea encompasses 187.5 acres, of which approximately 110 <br />acres were disturbed. The mine is located in Archuleta County and can be found on the Chimney <br />Rock U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute quadrangle map. <br />Geology: The San Juan Basin is an asymmetric structural basin in northwestem New Mexico and <br />southwestem Colorado. Rocks in the area are sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Cambrian to <br />Holocene and are of marine and non-marine origin. These sedimentary rocks were formed through <br />the transgression and regression of an epicontinentalsea. <br />Mining operations extracted coal seams which were located in the Lower Fmitland Formation. This <br />formation is composed of interbedded sandstone, siltstone, shale, cazbonaceous sandstones, and coal. <br />Three coal seams of economic importance were found in this formation and mining operations <br />removed coal from three seams. The coal seams dip 6~ to 8o to the southwest and strike N 60oW. <br />No large displacement faults exist in the permit area. The coal seams, approximately 82 fee[ thick, <br />appear to be the most continuous stratigraphic units found within the Fmitland Formation. <br />The A seam is the firs[ minable coal seam encountered. It is generally four feet to five feet [hick with <br />intermittent shale partings. The B seam is located approximately 6 to 12 feet below the A seam and <br />has an average thickness of 11 feet. The C seam is located 20 to 30 feet below the B seam and has <br />an average thickness of 9 feet. <br />The Kirtland Shale overlies the Fruitland Formation. The Kirtland Shale is composed of gray shales <br />that contain thin layers of interbedded siltstone and sandstone. This formation is highly erosive. <br />Underlying the coal-bearing Fmitland Formation is the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone. This formation is <br />composed of white to yellowish-gray massive sandstone ranging in thickness between 200 and 250 <br />feet. The lower units of the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone contain increasing amounts of shales. <br />2 <br />