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U.S. DEPART*irA'T OF THE INTERIOP. OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT NOTICE OF A DECISION AND AVAILABILITY OF BOTH A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR NORTHERN COAL COMPANY PERMANENT PROGRAM PERMIT MEErER AREA MINES RIO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO The United States Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), has approved, with conditions, a 5-year permit for Northern Coal Company to mine coal at its Meeker Area mines. The Meeker Area mines underground coal mine is located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, approximately 8 miles north of Meeker, Colorado. The mine has been in operation since 1978. The proposed permit area will cover approximately 860 acres, approximately 129.5 acres of which have been disturbed to date. Approximately 6.5 additional acres are proposed to be mined underground during the permit term. The proposed mine production will be 50,000 tons of coal over 5 years. Any person with an interest which is or may be adversely affected by this Federal permit approval action may request an adjudicatory hearing on the final decision within 30 days after publication of this notice, in accordance with Section 514(c) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Any hearing x.-111 be governed by provisions of 5 U.S.C. Section 554. A petition for review of the OSM decision should be submitted to: Hearings Division Office of Hearings and Appeals D.S. Department of the Interior 4015 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22203 Pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Sections 1501.4(c) and 1506.6, notice is hereby given that Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division has completed a technical analysis (TA) for the mining and reclamation plan (mining plan) for the Meeker Area mines, Rio Blanco County, Colorado. OSM has supplemented this TA with its own environmental assessment (EA). OSM's recommendation to approve Northern Coal Company mining plan and the permit application with conditions is in accordance with Sections 510 and 523 of SMCRA. OSM's analysis is that no significant environmental impacts would result from such approval. For information or clarification concerning the approval of the Meeker Area mines plan, please contact Richard Holbrook at (303) 844-3806, Office of Surface Mining, Denver, Colorado. Both the TA and the EA are available for public review at the following locations: