1999-12-14_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981038

Home Browse Search

Summary The Review Process Bowie Resources Limited (BRL) has filed a permit renewal application (RN-03) for the Bowie No. 1 Mine pursuant to the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act (Section 34-33-109, C.R.S. 1973, as amended) and the Rules promulgated thereunder. The Bowie No. 1 Mine is an existing underground mine which has been in operation since 1975. The mine was originally called the Orchazd Valley Mine and the original applicant was Colorado Westmoreland, Inc. (cwn. The Orchard Valley Mine (Bowie No. 1) permit application was originally submitted on September 30, 1977, and was determined to be complete on October 7, 1977. The permit application was approved by the Mined Land Reclamation Board under the interim program on Apri127, 1978. A modified permit application to comply with the proposed Colorado Permanent Regulatory Program was submitted on June 18, 1979, and revised on February 27, 1981. The Division then published its proposed decision approving the application with 25 stipulations on August 20, 1981. The Permanent Program Permit No. C-038-81 was issued on September 24, 1981. A permit revision application to incorporate 480 acres into the permit azea of Permit No. C-81-038 was submitted to the Division on November 18, 1982, and was determined to be complete on November 26, 1982. CWI's application included information from the adjacent Orchard Valley Permit C-81-038 as well as the permit revision area. The Division published its proposed decision to approve the permit revision with eight stipulations on March 21, 1983. Permit No. C-038-083, which superseded Permit No. C-81-038, was issued by the Division on April 20, 1983. On August 29, 1984, Colorado Westmoreland Inc. submitted a permit revision to their existing Permit No. C-83-038. The permit revision incorporated an additional 5,719.7 acres of adjacent federal coal (Lease C-37210) into the mine permit ~aea. CWI planned to mine this coal by extending the existing mine workings north and west into these azeas. On June 1, 1986, the Orchard Valley Mine (Bowie No. 1) experienced a mine fire that necessitated the closure of the mine portals. Because of the high potential of reignition of the workings if the portals were reopened, an alternative portal area was chosen. A permit revision was submitted August 18, 1986, proposing the construction of a temporary portal in an area west of the existing facilities in the East Roatcap Creek drainage. This portal (Orchard Valley West Mine (OVWM)) was originally proposed to remain active for approximately two years after construction, but market conditions made it necessary to use these facilities to export coal from the mine until June 1993. Hereafter, it will be used for materials transport, a maintenance shop, ventilation and emergency escapeway. The August 18, 1986 revision also had provisions for the construction of a haul road from Steven's Gulch to the proposed portal site. The entries of the portals run northwest until they intercept the sub-main entries of the previously approved mine plan. A "Findings of Compliance" was issued on October 12, 1986, superseding the findings