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<br /> <br /> <br />United States. Department of the Interior <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />Reclamation and Enforcement <br />BROOKS TOWERS <br />1020 15TH STREET <br />DENVER,COLORADO 80202 <br />OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR <br />JUG 2 ]9~j <br />ME190RANDUM <br />T0: Andrew Bailey, Acting Director, OSM <br />FROM: Donald A, CraneFJ~,. -yi ~` <br />-~ <br />SUBJECT: Recommendation for Deserado Atine Plan, Western Fuels-Utah, Inc., Rio <br />Blanco County, Colorado (Federal Lease Nos. C-023703 and D-047201) <br />I. Recommendation: <br />Based on the Technical-Environmental Assessment (TEA) prepared by OSM and the <br />State of Colorado, Mined Land Reclamation Division (MLRD), I am recommending <br />approval with stipulations of Western Fuels-Utah, Inc. 's mining and reclama- <br />tion plan and permit application for the Deserado Mine. ~, <br />~': <br />The company has proposed to initiate underground coal mining within Federal <br />coal lease Nos. C-023703 and D-047201 for a permit Cerm of eight years (three <br />years for construction and five for coal mining), <br />The permit area and mine plan include Federal lands that are underlain by <br />unleased Federal coal. The U.S. Geological Survey (GS) concluded that use of <br />the Federal land for refuse waste disposal and railroad loadout facilities <br />would not preclude future mining of the unleased coal. The use of this Federal <br />land is sub~ect.to Western Fuels-Utah, Inc. obtaining right-of -way permits <br />from the Bureau of Land Management (BLPi) (see stipulations). <br />OSM and the State, in the course of the review, have identified some elements <br />,. ,. of the applicant's proposal which, in order to be in compliance with the <br />approved State-Program, require conditions of approval. These conditions are <br />attached to the proposed permit (OCD-0038, 6/81) and are included as part of <br />the preferred alternative. <br />II. -Background: <br />The underground mine is to be located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado about 10 <br />miles northeast of Rangely, Colorado. Western Fuels' plan addresses the con- <br />stYuction of surface facilities and one mine entrance, mining of three coal <br />seams by a combination of long-wall and room-and-pillar mining methods, and <br />surface disposal of coal waste in permanent piles. <br />The proposed permit area includes about 5,955 acres of which about 1,200 acres <br />are expected to be disturbed by surface activities. <br />