Laserfiche WebLink
Blue Mountain Energy, Inc. (BME) submitted an application for a fifth revision of Permit C-81- <br />018 (PR-OS), on 21 March 2005. The submittal included a revision application form, proposed <br />public notice, and numerous changes to permit text and maps to increase the permit azea by 120 <br />acres, modify the currently approved mine plan and change the affected acreage to more <br />accurately reflect the actual disturbed acres. No additional surface disturbance was proposed <br />with Permit Revision 05. <br />The application was deemed complete on 22 Mazch 2005 and notices were provided to various <br />local, state, and federal agencies on that date. Public notice of the application was published in <br />the Rangely Times once a week for four consecutive weeks. Copies of the application were filed <br />with the Town Clerk's Office at the Rangely Town Hall, and at the Denver office of the Division. <br />Comment letters were received from the Colorado Historic Society (15 Apri12005) and the <br />Division of Water Resources (20 Apri12005). These letters reiterated conditions that are already <br />placed on the permit and, as such, approved of the revision as submitted. <br />The Division sent out its preliminary adequacy letter on 20 May 2005. Blue Mountain Energy <br />responded to this adequacy letter on 6 June 2005. The operator answered all adequacy questions <br />to the satisfaction of the Division and no subsequent adequacy letters were necessary. <br />Elevations at the mine site range between 5,300 and 5,900 feet above sea level. The permit area <br />and adjacent azeas are chazacterized by gently rolling to moderately steep landforms. Slopes <br />range from 0 to 6 percent in the valleys and level uplands and up to 50 percent on drainage <br />sideslopes. The azea is semi-and and chazacterized by light rainfall, low relative humidity, and <br />moderate winds. Mean annual precipitation is 9 to 10 inches, with peaks in spring and late <br />summer/early fall. <br />The mine is located in the White River Basin, which is the eastern portion of the larger Uinta <br />Basin. The mine lies within the interbedded sandstone and siltstone strata of the Mesaverde <br />Group in the Williams Fork Formation. The Mesaverde Group consists of the Lower Iles <br />Formation and the Upper Williams Fork Formation, which aze separated by the Trout Creek <br />Sandstone. The Williams Fork Formation is further divided into upper and lower members. The <br />Lower Williams Fork Member contains coat bearing seams "A" through "H." The "B" and "D" <br />seams will be recovered at the Deserado Mine. <br />The dip of the Mesaverde Group within the permit area is controlled by the asymmetric Red <br />Wash Syncline, which strikes northwest southeast. Dips vary from 7 degrees in the southern part <br />of the permit area, horizontal at the synclinal axis, to as much as 70 degrees on the north flank of <br />the syncline. The coal and sandstone beds outcrop along this steep northern flank. Structure and <br />local topography are the main factors that control ground water movement in the azea. <br />The Williams Fork Formation is divided into three hydrologic units: The Sandstone Facies, <br />15 <br />