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<br />U' ^uwJ~~~o* ~a/ ~nrn <br />• <br />~~ . 1 %u J ~rrr. /~a~rwa. ~. ~ ~J~J~ <br />/~0// y.f6 6600 <br />/P12/ S.9ii-9900 <br />February 16, 1983 <br />Mr, Allen D. Clein rr,' <br />r ~~: ~:,, I:a <br />Administrator of Western 'T'echnical Center <br />Office of Surface Mining <br />1020 15th Street fF~t ~ (i~(I~3 <br />Denver, Colorado 80202 <br />~r. to ~,,r:n PE(L:n~ll'vr <br />Mr. Robert Hagan COLO. GFFI. Cf n4ic..~.E c[•_r. •e <br />Field Office Director <br />Office of Surface Mining <br />219 Central, N. W. (Room 216) <br />Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 <br />Re: GEC Coal Mine, Fremont County, Colorado <br />Gentlemen: <br />I r(•prosrnt C[iC Mincr:rls, Inc., witlr reforrnco to the above cnp- <br />tinned mine. There currently exists a rafting underground coal <br />fire a[ [his mine, coning [o the surface in many places, which <br />Eire was either caused by [he offset operator (or, as [hey allege, <br />by spontaneous combustion). Repeated demands by ourselves, our <br />lessor and the State of Colorado were made on this offset operator <br />to extinguish the. fire, but they refused. The fire is expanding <br />and getting progressively worse, irrespective of ours and our <br />lessor's attempts [o suffocate the Cire. The offset operator <br />still refusing, we acceded to [he demands of the Slate and our <br />lessor to n[[empt to put out [he fire since we were the only <br />people in the urea with [h~: proper equipment. After consultations <br />with various experts, it was decided to excavate a very extensive <br />fire trench to isolate the burning coal. We are seeking reimburse- <br />ment for doing this work and are being refused until the offset <br />operator reimburses tircm. <br />Under these circumstance:;, we simply cannot afford to continue to <br />fight this fire and stay in. business. A[ this time we would Eeel <br />i[ our obligation to notify you :r :; custodians of our environment <br />and the public good to come to our aid to complete [his firefight- <br />ing task or forever to allow [his (ire to escape into [he maze of <br />underground mines }~one}•combing the area and forever reap havoc on <br />[he environment. This is a critical juncture in [his firefighting <br />