GENERAL44630

• Permit No: C1982055
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 9/1/1998
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for RN3
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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History of the Permitting Review Process
A number of small underground mines were operated in the immediate vicinity of the Raton
Creek Mine site from the late 1800's into the eazly 1900's. In 1978, the Animas Coal Company
opened a small underground operation called the Helen Mine. An interim coal mining permit
was issued to the Animas Coal Company, Inc: for the Helen Mine on February 28, 1979,
pursuant to the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act. Operations continued under this permit
until August 15, 1981, when the interim permit expired and the company ceased operation.
Animas Coal Company,'Inc. had submitted a new permit application and was in the process of
responding to the Preliminary Adequacy Review when the operation was purchased by the
Sundance Coal Company in April 1982. Sundance Coal Company became the new permittee on
the application initially submitted by Animas Coal Company, Inc. The name of the mine was
changed from the Helen Mine to the Animas Mine. On August 16, 1982, permanent program
permit No. C-82-055 was issued to Sundance Coal Company for the Animas Mine.
After the acquisition of the property, Sundance Coal Company opened the Animas Mine on the
south face of Stazkville Gulch in the lower Starkville seam. The mine was later driven upward
into the upper Stazkville seam. Sundance Coal Company also opened, and briefly operated, a
new Helen Mine in the lower Stazkville seam on the north face of Stazkville Gulch. The new
Helen Mine was located west of the earlier Animas Coal Company, Inc. operation. On
July 9, 1984, the Division was notified by Sundance Coal Company that operations at the
Animas/Helen Mine complex were temporarily suspended. Active operations were not resumed
at the mine during the remainder of the first permit term. In accordance with Rule 2.08.5, the
Division notified Sundance Coal Company on November 18, 1986, by way of their agent,
Panorama Resource Services, that an application for renewal of the Animas Mine permit was
required to be filed by February 16, 1987, or 180 days prior to expiration date of the existing
permit of August 16, 1987. Sundance Coal Company subsequently filed a complete application
for renewal of their permit on Apri17, 1987. On April 30, 1987, during the Division's adequacy
review of the application, the Animas Mine was sold by Sundance Coal Company to Raton
Creek Associates, Ltd., a limited partnership. On the date of the sale, a request for transfer of the
permit for the Animas Mine, from Sundance Coal Company to Energy Fuels Mining Company,
was submitted to the Division. Energy Fuels Mining Company had been authorized by Raton
Creek Associates, Ltd. to conduct coal mining activities on the Animas property.
The application for renewal of the permit had been filed by Sundance Coal Company. Since
Energy Fuels Mining Company was not approved for transfer of the Animas Mine Permit at the
conclusion of the review of that application, the Division's preliminary adequacy letter was
addressed to Sundance Coal Company on June 2, 1987. The response, however, was made by
Energy Fuels Mining Company on July 14, 1987 acting in its capacity as operator of the property
for the actual owner, Raton Creek Associates, Ltd. This permit renewal was issued on August