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Mine Status and History <br />The Seneca II-W Mine is located approximately 7 miles south of Hayden, Colorado in <br />Routt County. The initial mining and reclamation permit for the mine was issued <br />December 31, 1985, fora 5 year permit term. The permit has been renewed for additional <br />5 year permit terms three times. Tho most recent permit renewal proposed decision was <br />issued June 19, 2001, and the Division's basis for the renewal approval is set forth is the <br />Permit Renewal No. 3 (RN-3) Findings of Compliance document, dated June 15, 2001. <br />The RN-3 Findings of Compliance document has previously been updated in association <br />with Permit Revision No. 3 (PR-3) in 2003, and Permit Revision No. 4 (PR-4) in 2004. <br />Coal extraction began at Seneca II-W in 1990, and continued through 2005. Coal <br />extraction ceased in early January 2006, due to a combination of difficult mining <br />conditions and economic factors. Seneca II-W is a dip-slope area strip mine operation, <br />which utilized dragline mining methods primarily, with limited auger mining in some final <br />pit locations. The total permitted area, including the Tie-Across Haul Road that connects <br />Routt County Road 53 with the Hayden Power Plant, is approximately 4,093 acres. The <br />maximum proposed disturbed area is 1,534.5 acres, including the mine area (1,334.5 acres <br />of mine pit areas, support facilities, haul roads and drainage control structures) and the <br />Tie-Across Haul Road corridor (200 acres). Surface ownership is predominantly private, <br />with right of entry based on a variety of private leases, subleases and easements. The <br />permit area also includes limited areas of federal surface managed by BLM, and the State <br />of Colorado. Coal mined at Seneca II-W was owned by private interest, the State of <br />Colorado, and the Federal government, under lease to Seneca Coal Company. <br />Over the mine life, Seneca Coal Company produced in excess of 12 million tons of coal at <br />Seneca II-W. Annual production ranged from a low of 376,700 tons to a maximum of <br />990,300 tons. No further coal production is proposed. Reclamation of pit areas and <br />support facilities is to be substantially complete by the end of 2007. Temporary sediment <br />control structures will be removed upon demonstration that reclaimed areas have been <br />adequately stabilized by vegetation, unless approved as permanent impoundments for the <br />postmining land use. <br />Simulation and Revision Summary <br />Status of Stipulations Attached to Permit Renewal No. 3 Proposed Decision and <br />Subsequent Revisions <br />Stipulation 24 originated with MR~2, July 29, 1997. The Stipulation specified that proof of <br />resolution of Kentucky Civit Penalty Violation and bond forfeiture associated with Permit 8980140 <br />be submitted to DMG as soon as it becomes available. The stipulation originated based on an <br />Seneca II-W Findings Document 5 June 12, 2006 <br />Permit Renewal No. 5 <br />