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Land use in the area is primarily rangeland-wildlife habitat. A limited <br />amount of irrigated agriculture (primarily pastureland) occurs within the <br />permit and adjacent area. <br />The permit area is within critical mule deer winter range, as designated by <br />the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The general area also provides winter <br />range for elk and is used at different times throughout the year by various <br />small game animals, non-game animals and birds. <br />The load-out is located within an industrial site (an abandoned sugarbeet <br />processing plant) adjacent to the municipal sewage treatment facilities in <br />Delta, Colorado, approximately 17 miles from the mine site. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The existing Red Canyon No. 1 Mine is a room and pillar underground operation <br />currently producing less than 100,000 tons of coal per year from the "E" <br />seam. A limited extraction rate of 50-55% is employed by the operator to <br />avoid subsidence impacts to the land surface and the surficial aquifer <br />system. The proposed Red Canyon No. 2 Mine will extract coal from the "D" <br />seam located 130 feet strati graphically below the "E" seam. Surface <br />facilities for the No. 2 Mine will be located adjacent to the existing No. 1 <br />Mine facilities. The maximum projected production during the permit term is <br />400,000 tons per year for the "D" seam, with total maximum production from <br />both seams projected at 560,000 tons/year. Life of mine projections are for <br />100 years of mining at an annual production of 1 million TPY for the two mines. <br />Additional surface disturbance this permit term will be limited to <br />approximately 3 acres in the refuse disposal area, 4 acres associated with <br />Mine No. 2 portal development and 2 acres for the proposed sediment pond. The <br />total existing and proposed disturbed acreage is 41 acres. <br />Underground development waste is currently disposed of in abandoned strip pits <br />adjacent to the portal area, along the east side of the draw in which the mine <br />is situated. Eventually, during this permit term, waste disposal will proceed <br />up the slope towards the crest of the ridge into previously undisturbed <br />areas. Topsoil and cover material will be stripped in advance of disturbance <br />and replaced to a depth of 4 feet on the graded and compacted development <br />waste pile. Portions of the waste disposal area not presently active have <br />been graded, covered and seeded. <br />Existing surface facilities associated with the Red Canyon No. 1 Mine include <br />two mine access portals, the mine office, bathhouse, shop, yard area, air <br />shaft and fan. The portal face up and portal bench for the proposed Red <br />Canyon No. 2 Mine will be located roughly in the location of the existing <br />sediment pond, which will be relocated. <br />Sediment and drainage control at the site is accomplished by a diversion ditch <br />and a system of road drainage and collection ditches and culverts which <br />directs disturbed runoff to a sediment pond at the base of the disturbed area. <br />-8- <br />