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<br />I. REVIEW OF MINE STATUS <br />For a brief operational history, please refer to page 9 of the <br />Division's February 10, 2000 Proposed Decision and Findings of <br />Compliance for Permit Renewal. Mining at the operation ceased on <br />December 2, 1999. By letter of December 13, 1999, the operator <br />notified the Division that cessation of operations would extend <br />beyond 30 days. A subsequent letter received by the Division March <br />14, 2000, provided official notice that the cessation of operations <br />was permanent. Certain reclamation tasks were undertaken shortly <br />after cessation, and have been completed as of August 2000, <br />including sealing of South Mine, North Mine, and 2-West Portals, <br />and the South Fan. Rough grading operations have been largely <br />completed at the 2-West Portals and South Fan, and various surface <br />facilities including fan structures, the North Mine shop, and <br />certain conveyor segments, have been dismantled. The approved <br />permit requires initiation of final reclamation within one year of <br />final shutdown of mine operations. <br />The permit was most recently renewed on March 23, 2000, with a <br />permit expiration date of January 3, 2003. <br />Quaker Coal Company, and all of its subsidiaries, including <br />Powderhorn Coal Company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June <br />16, 2000. <br />II. SUMMARY OF REVISIONS AND STIPULATIONS <br />Stipulations <br />Three stipulations were included in the most recent decision <br />document, two of which (No. 2 and No. 22) were incorporated through <br />previous permitting actions, and one (NO. 23) which originated with <br />Permit Renewal 03. <br />Stipulation No. 2 requires submittal of an annual hydrology report <br />and outlines the information to be included in the report. Annual <br />hydrology reports meeting the requirements of the stipulation have <br />been submitted through 1999. The stipulation remains in effect. <br />Stipulation No. 22 requires specific documentation to, be provided <br />prior to initiation of mining within the subsidence angle of draw <br />beneath the 395 KV Rifle-San Juan Powerline, within the South <br />Portals mining area. The stipulation remains in effect, although <br />unless active mining operations resume, which is not anticipated, <br />the submittal will never be triggered. <br />