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rHZS <br />MIDTERM REVIEW <br />West Elk Mine <br />Permit No. C-80-007 <br />This document presents the results of the Division of Minerals and Geology (Division) Midterm Review of <br />the Mountain Coal Company, West Ells Mine. This Midterm Review was conducted to fulfill the <br />requvements of Rules 2.08.3, 2.06.2(10), 2.06.3(4), 2.06.5(3), 2.06.7(5) and 3.02.2(4). <br />Pursuant to Rule 2.08.3, the Division is required to review ttre permit during the permit term, and should <br />not occur later than the middle of the permit term. Based on this review, for good cause shown, the <br />Division may require reasonable revisions or modifications of the permit provisions to ensure compliance <br />with the Act and Regulations. <br />Rules 2.06.2(10), 2.06.3(4), 2.06.5(3) and 2.06.7(5) which detail Experimental Practices Mining, <br />Mountaintop Removal Mining, Variances from Approximate Original Contour Restoration Requirements <br />for Steep Slope Mining, and Variances for Delay in Contemporaneous Reclamation Requirements in <br />Combined Surface and Underground Mining Operations, respectively, require that fire Division review <br />these practices or variances at some point during the permit term. <br />Rule 3.02.2(4) requires the Division to review the amount of the bond required at the time permit reviews <br />aze conducted under 2.08.3 or every two and one-half years, whichever is more frequent. <br />The Midterm Review consisted of a detailed review of the West Elk Mine permit application and Findings <br />Document to identify any items that may have been overlooked during the initial review. The Division also <br />reviewed all subsequent revisions and stipulation responses to ensure that all permit commitments and <br />conditions were being followed. The reclamation cost estimate was also reviewed to confirm that all <br />reclamation tasks had been included in the estimate and were up-to-date. Problems and observations from <br />past inspection reports were also considered. <br />SECTION I -HISTORY <br />The West Elk Mine, operated by Mountain Coal Company (MCC), is located approximately one mile east <br />of the town of Somerset on Colorado State Highway No. 133.Operafions at the West Elk Mine have been <br />conducted under several different names in the past. Before 1991, the West Elk Mine was known as the <br />Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine. Since the mine opened, operations were conducted under the following names: <br />Anaconda Minerals Company, ARCO Coal Company (a division of Atlantic Richfield Company), and <br />West Ells Coal Company, Inc. <br />MCC applied on November 6, 1979 for a permit to conduct underground mining and reclamation <br />operations. The first five-year pewit was issued on July 3l, 1981. The permit expired on July 31, 1986 and <br />a complete application for renewal was received on January 17, 1986. The permit was renewed on May 19, <br />1987 and expired on August 1, 1991. The Division received MCC's complete renewal application on <br />January 30, 1991. The permit was subsequently issued on January 29, 1993 and was renewed on July 30, <br />1996 and July 31, 2001. <br />The midterm date for this five-year permit term is January 31, 2004. This Midterm Review was initiated in <br />early January of 2004. <br />Since permit renewal, no Notices of Violation (NOV) were issued. <br />