GENERAL47931 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

3400 (CO-076) JUN 2 4 1998 Memorandum a' To: Kenneth Vogel, Minerals Management Service From: Area Manager, BLM, Grand Junction Resource Area Subject: Al Hoyl Property Your April 10, 1998 memo to the BLM State Office indicated that Mr. Hoyl has offered the United States certain fee lands in lieu of a collection action on a contested debt. Based on the original survey, the county land records describe this parcel as the SE34NE',G of section 30, T. 8 S., R. 101 W. However based on a resurvey of the area, the legal description of the offered parcel appears to be Tract 43 (40 acres) in sections 29 and 30. The parcel is located along the face of the Book Cliffs (see attached maps). The BLM conducted a joint inspection of the property on May 21, 1998 with t Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG), The DMG has oversight responsibili for site reclamation activities from prior mine-related disturbance. The following concerns were noted: 1. Access to federal coal - The subject parcel is not located adjacent to t three expired federal coal leases. There is a 1/4 mile-wide strip of fee la (not owned by Hoyl) which separates the parcel from federal coal. The Cameo Seam entries were driven to the boundary of the federal leases between 1979 and 1982 from a portal site on fee land adjacent to the parcel. The mine is now sealed, and any future access to the federal coal would require a new portal location along the Cameo bed outcrop. If a new portal was developed the vicinity, it is possible that the parcel could provide additional area f surface facilities. 2. Surface disturbance - The subject parcel contains mine-related disturbanc which is only partially reclaimed and has been impacted by~erosion:"'The disturbance includes an access road, portal area, sediment retention area, an eroded fill area. Stormwater runoff last year caused severe erosion in the vicinity of the Cameo portal (north of the parcel), and some of the damage extended into the Hoyl parcel. The DMG has limited funding (from forfeited bond) which they plan to use late this fall or early next spring to repair some of the damage and channelize the runoff. The BLM has requested that DMG spend some of the funds for runoff control work on the parcel, but since the cost estimate and contract will not be prepared until this fall (possibly October), it is uncertain whether the funds are sufficient to accomplish the work. 3. Farmers-Nearing Mine - The northeast portion of the parcel is underlain b' mine workings from this coal mine which operated intermittently between 1906 and 1956. There is a 12" hole which appears to be open into the underground workings. The opening needs to be excavated to determine what additional closure work is necessary. After reviewing the old mine maps, it appears tha this area needs to be checked more closely for any other openings or subsidence features. Any remediation work would have to be funded separately under the DMG abandoned mines program. 6-14 - CODE