GENERAL42700

• Permit No: C1981024
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 12/29/1992
• Doc Name: Midterm Review Findings Document
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

This document presents the results of the Division of Minerals and Geology's
Midterm Review of the Kaiser Coal Corporation's Colorado Coal Mine No. 1
(GCMG). This review was conducted to fulfill the requirements of Rules
2.08.3, 2.06.2, 2.06.3, 2.06.5, 2.06.7, and 3.02.2(4).
Rule 2.08.3 requires that the Division conduct a review of each permit issued,
prior to its midterm (2 1/2 years). Based on this review, for good cause
shown, the Dl vision may require reasonable revisions or modifications of the
permit provisions to ensure compliance with the Act and Regulations.
Rules 2.06.2, 2.06.3, 2.06.5, and 2.06.7 require that experimental practices,
mountaintop removal variances, variance from approximate original contour
(AOC), and variances from contemporaneous reclamation, respectively, be
reviewed by the Division where applicable during the midterm review.
Rule 3.02.2(4) requires that the Division review the amount of the bond and
the terms of acceptance of the bond every 2 1/2 years.
The midterm review of CCMC consisted of a review of the findings document, the
permit application and subsequent revisions, stipulations, field reports, and
annual reports. Also, a cursory review of the bond was conducted.
The document is organized as follows: Section I contains a brief history of
the mine. Section II contains a summary of permit actions. Section III is a
review of the stipulations attached to the permit. Section IV is a summary of
the review and a discussion of any problems identified in this review or
otherwise, which will need to be resolved. Section V is a review of the bond.
Section I - History
The Colorado Coal Mine No. 1 was initially operated by the Colorado Coal
Mining Company (CCMC) under interim Permit No. 80-59, which was issued on
June 26, 1980. A permanent program permit was applied for on February 9, 1981.
In Juty of 1981, a Notice of Intent to Conduct Exploration (CX-127-01) was
filed, with mining occurring under this NOI in May 1982. This activity
resulted in the removal of approximately 35,000 tons of coal and a total
disturbance of 63 acres.
A revised mining plan was submitted to the Division in December of 1982 and
subsequently approved in June of 1983. This revised plan considerably
down-sized the operation and provided for a "dry mine" plan to avoid a host of
hydrology concerns which had been raised by the Division. This mining permit
for coal was actually issued on March 12, 1984. However, mining under this
permit never occurred.
The mine was transferred to Kaiser Steel Corporation on March 28, 1985. The
permit was renewed in August of 1989, which allowed for "reclamation only" at
this site.
The site has now been reclaimed to the point that vegetation is well enough
established that sediment ponds have been removed.