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Summary <br /> The Review Process <br /> Mountain Coal Company, formerly the West Elk Coal Company, applied on <br /> November 6, 1979 for a permit to conduct underground mining and reclamation operations at <br /> the West Elk Mine, formerly the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine. <br /> The application was determined to be complete on November 29, 1979. The first review <br /> comments from the Division of Water Resources were received on March 26, 1980, and <br /> comments from the Division of Wildlife were received on April 22, 1980. During the latter <br /> part of June, the Division received OSM's Apparent Completeness Review of the application, <br /> which was subsequently incorporated into the July MLRD Preliminary Adequacy Review <br /> Letter and then forwarded to the company. On January 13, 1981, a meeting was held between <br /> OSM and MLRD to assess the adequacy of MCC's responses, and it was at this point in time <br /> that the responses were found to be substantially inadequate in a variety of aspects. This <br /> resulted in a decision to prepare a second, joint adequacy letter which was sent to the company <br /> on February 6, 1981. <br /> On January 30, 1981 the Division received additional comments from the Division of Water <br /> Resources which outlined the deficiencies in the application with regard to water rights and, in <br /> particular, with the deficiencies of the proposed Minnesota Creek Basin Augmentation Plan. <br /> Additional comments on water rights issues were submitted in February and March in the form <br /> of objection letters from several concerned citizens. These letters also discussed problems <br /> relating to alluvial valley floors, protection for perennial streams, the potential for landslides to <br /> be triggered by subsidence, cumulative hydrologic impacts, the adequacy of MCC's subsidence <br /> monitoring and subsidence control plans, and a number of procedural issues. These objections <br /> resulted in several requests for a mine site visit and informal conference, which were held on <br /> April 30, 1981 and May 12, 1981, respectively. The Division began preparation of its written <br /> findings soon after the conference and published its proposed decision on June 22. 1981. The <br /> Division's decision was to approve the West Elk permit application with several stipulations. <br /> The five-year permit was issued on July 31, 1981, pursuant to the Colorado Surface Coal <br /> Mining Reclamation Act, CRS 34-33-101 et seq. Construction of the West Elk Mine began in <br /> 1981. The mine began producing coal from the F Seam in January 1982. The expiration of <br /> this permit was set at July 31, 1986. On January 17, 1986, a complete renewal application <br /> was received. This application was subsequently reviewed and the Division issued a proposed <br /> decision to approve the renewal application with stipulations. Following the public comment <br /> period, the permit was renewed on May 19, 1987. The permit was to expire on August 1, <br /> 1991. The Division received MCC's complete renewal application on January 30, 1991 <br /> thereby ensuring the operator's right to successive renewal pursuant to 2.08.5(3))f). The <br /> Division issued a proposed decision to approve the renewal application with stipulations, and <br /> following the public comment period, the permit was renewed on January 29, 1993, and will <br /> expire on August 1, 1996. <br /> 6 <br />