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revision application in the Steamboat Pilot during four consecutive weeks, beginning on April 24, <br />2005. There were no comments regarding this permit revision application received by the Division <br />as a result of the public notice. On June 9, 2005 the Division submitted to SCC an adequacy review <br />of the permit revision. Seneca Coal Company has not responded to the Division's adequacy review <br />letter at this time. The permit revision is pending review and approval by the Division. The <br />reclamation cost estimate is being revaluated with regazd to the permit revision. Anew cost estimate <br />for bond liability will be prepazed by the Division to include changes to the mine plan and <br />reclamation plan resulting from Permit Revision No. 2. <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Yoast Mine plan area is located approximately 8.5 miles southeast of the town of Hayden, and is <br />positioned between three existing coal-mining operations. The Yoast Mine plan area is <br />approximately 4 miles southwest ofthe Seneca II Mine, 3.5 miles east ofthe Seneca II-W mine, and <br />one mile west of the reclaimed Grassy Gap Mine. See Figure 1 for further detail. The mining azea is <br />located between Sage Creek and Grassy Creek and is found on USGS Mount Harris and Dunkley <br />maps. <br />Mining is proposed in two separate azeas, and in the neck pit connecting the two areas. During the <br />first five-yearpermit term, mining will develop in Section 17 ofTownship 5 North, Range 87 West. <br />Mining during the second and third terms is proposed in Sections 17, 19, 20, 29, and 30. <br />Geolo~y and Tonoeraphv <br />The proposed Yoast permit area is located within the Wyoming Basin Physiographic Province. <br />Elevations within the permit area range between 6530 feet along the northern end of Haul Road A <br />and 7980 feet at the summits of ridges within the southeastern portion of the proposed permit azea. <br />Slopes range from 1° in Scotchman's Gulch to 100° at isolated sandstone bluffs. The terrain is <br />characterized by broad west and northeast facing moderately sloping benches and ridges that are <br />deeply incised, and barren, brush covered, southwestward facing cliffs where the more resistant <br />sandstone outcrops. The long, sloping landforms of these areas roughly coincide with the strike and <br />dip of the underlying bedrock. <br />The proposed permit area is dissected by several small, ephemeral drainages which flow into two <br />principal stream systems; Sage Creek on the southwest, Grassy Creek on the southeast. A detailed <br />discussion of the Yoast surface water system is presented in Tabs 7 and 16 of the permit application <br />package. <br />The Yoast permit area is in the Williams Fork Mountains, within the southeastern synclinal portion of <br />the Sand Wash structural Basin ofnorthern Colorado and central Wyoming. The stratigraphy ofthe <br />permit azea is illustrated in Figure 2. <br />The coal seams to be mined are the Wadge and the Wolf Creek. These seams aze contained within the <br />Middle Coal Group, an interval of interbedded sandstones, sandy shales, shales and coal within the <br />Williams Fork Formation. The Middle Coal Group also contains the Lennox Coal seam, which is <br />Yoast Mine (~ August 3, 2005 <br />