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Summary
<br /> History
<br /> The Roadside North and South Portal Mines(formerly known as the Roadside and Cameo Mines) is an active
<br /> underground coal mining operation located in Mesa County, approximately three miles northeast of Palisade,
<br /> Colorado, adjacent to Interstate 70 and the Colorado River, at the Cameo exit in DeBeque Canyon. Mine
<br /> portals, coal processing facilities, and a coal mine waste disposal area are located south and east of the
<br /> interstate, and river. Additional mine portals,coal handling facilities, coal mine waste disposal areas, and a
<br /> rail loadout facility, are located north and west of the river.
<br /> The DeBeque Canyon area within and adjacent to the current permit area has been historically disturbed by
<br /> coal mining activities since the late 1800's, and the Colorado River alluvial valley Floor area which has been
<br /> altered and affected by these operations has been "grandfathered" into the permit area. The Cameo Power
<br /> Plant,which is a customer forcoal from the Roadside Portals,is locatedjust south of the North Portal facilities,
<br /> on the west side of the river.
<br /> GEX Colorado,Inc.submitted the original permanent program permit application for the Roadside and Cameo
<br /> Mines on February 17, 1981,pursuant to Section 34-33-109 of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation
<br /> Act. On December 31, 1981,the Roadside and Cameo Mines were purchased by Powderhom Coal Company
<br /> (PCC). Following the review process for the initial permanent program permit application,the Division issued
<br /> a permit with stipulations on January 3, 1983.
<br /> On November 9, 1984,Powderhom Coal Company submitted plans for a permit revision to construct two new
<br /> coal processing waste embankments to be located north (CRDA-2)and west(CRDA-3)of the existing Cameo
<br /> Refuse Disposal Area(CRDA-1). This revision was approved on March 11, 1985.
<br /> In October 1986,Powderhom Coal Company notified the Division of temporary cessation of operations at the
<br /> Roadside and Cameo Mines. In early 1987, Peabody Holding Company purchased the inactive Roadside and
<br /> Cameo Mines. On April 20, 1989, Powderhom Coal Company(PCC) notified the Division of its intent to
<br /> emerge from temporary cessation status on May 1, 1989. The mine has been active since that time, producing
<br /> up to 70,000 tons of clean coal per month. Up until November, 1994, production was limited to the Roadside
<br /> South Portal, but at that time the North Portal was reactivated, and coal was produced from both portals until
<br /> early 1997, when all coal production was shifted to the North Portal.
<br /> The original permit has been granted renewal for successive five year permit terms twice, the most recent
<br /> renewal decision was finalized July 23, 1993,with the current permit term extending through January 3, 1998.
<br /> Six stipulations(1,2,6,7, 11,and 12) were attached to the 1993 permit renewal (RN-02), and current status
<br /> of those stipulations and subsequent stipulations is summarized below. A number of technical revisions(TR's)
<br /> and minor revisions (MR's), and one Succession of Operators (SO), were approved since the most recent
<br /> permit renewal. These permitting actions are also summarized below.
<br /> Status of Previous Stipulations
<br /> Six stipulations were attached to the 1993 renewal permit and proposed decision (1, 2, 6, 7, 11, and 12).
<br /> Stipulation 13 was attached to a proposed approval decision for Minor Revision No. 23, issued August 29,
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