GENERAL42880

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Name: Federal Leases C-1362 C-0117192 & D-044569 Decision Document
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

~,.
• CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose and Need for the Action
West Elk Coal Company (WECC) submitted a technical revision
application for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine to the Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Division (MEAD) under the Colorado
State program (30 CFR Part 906). The technical revision
application (1) proposes minor modifications to the
currently approved F-seam mining plan, (2) extends
underground mining operations into the B seam in Federal
leases C-1362, C-0117192, and D-044569, and (3) adds about
35.5 acres within Federal lease C-1362 to the mining plan
approval area to accommodate the B-seam main entries.
Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Assistant
Secretary--Land and Minerals Management (Assistant
Secretary) must approve, approve with conditions, or
disapprove the mining plan modification for Federal leases
C-1362, C-0117192, and D-044569. Pursuant to 30 CFR
Part 746, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement (OSM) recommends approval with conditions.
• B. Project Background and General Information
The Mt. Gunnison No. 1 underground coal mine is located
in Gunnison County, Colorado, 10 miles east of Paonia.
The mine has been in operation since 1982. About 80
acres have been disturbed by surface facilities.
The original mining plan for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine was
approved under the Federal lands program on July 15, 1981
for Federal leases C-0117192 and D-044569. Since that
approval there have been three other mining plan
modifications for the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine (i.e.,
August 16, 1985, September 27, 1985, and November 21, 1987).
The approved permit area contains a total of 4,240 acres,
approximately 3,500 acres of which are contained in Federal
coal leases C-1362, C-0117192, and D-044569. Operations are
expected to remove coal from approximately 2,400 acres
within the permit area. About 3,500,000 tons of coal have
been mined at the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 mine since mining
commenced in 1982. About 12,000,000 tons of recoverable F-
seam coal remains in
area.
The mining plan, as
and pillar mining in
. tons per year with a
the permit and mining plan approval
currently approved, contemplates room
the F seam at a production of 2,800,000
work force of about 300 employees.
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