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• The State determined that the mine plan contained sufficient information to <br />permit those activities proposed by the applicant (except for those items <br />stipulated). I concur with the approach proposed by the applicant and <br />approved by the State. As such, the permit as proposed ~a111 authorize surface <br />coal mining and reclamation operations on that portion of Federal Coal Leases <br />C-07518 and C-25948, proposed for mining by the applicant in the western <br />portion of the permit area. In addition, the permit wi1.1 authorize those <br />limited activities discussed above for the Federal lands in the eastern <br />portion of the permit area. The right of renewal will only apply to those <br />activities proposed to be conducted under the five-year term of this permit. <br />The State incorrectly included two areas of unleased Federal coal in that the <br />limited activities are authorized. Because developmental drilling is included <br />in the limited activities authorized, it could be construed that we would be <br />authorizing coal exploration on unleased coal. To alleviate this situation, I <br />am recommending a stipulation requirigg the permittee to obtain an exploration <br />license from BLM prior to conducting any coal exploration or developmental <br />drilling on those portions of unleased Federal coal contained within the <br />permit area. <br />In the Technical Analysis, the State describes the lands within the permit <br />area for which full-scale mining operations, as proposed by the applicant, are <br />authorized (the western portion) and also the lands within the permit area for <br />which only the limited activities are authorized ([he eastern portion). The <br />. two descriptions create an overlap. The Federal permit eliminates this <br />overlap. <br />The surface mineable reserves Sn the E1/2E1/2 of Section. 5, T. 5 N., R. 91 W. <br />are leased to Utah International, Inc, under Lease C-25948, are proposed for <br />mining and are contained in this mine plan approval. I'he underground area <br />leased to Empire Energy Corporation under Lease C-30656 is not contained in <br />this mine plan approval. <br />The Trapper Mine permit application was reviewed by the Colorado Mined Lands <br />Reclamation Division, using the approved Colorado State Program, the Federal <br />Lands Program (30 CFR Chapter VII, Subchapter D) and the: Colorado Cooperative <br />Agreement (30 CFR 906). The Mineral Leasing Act portion of the plan was also <br />reviewed for compliance with the applicable portion of .VO CFR Part 211 (i.e., <br />requirements and responsibilities of the Minerals Management Service). The <br />Technical Analysis for this mine application was pre pared by Colorado Mined <br />Land Reclamation Division and the Environmental Assessment was prepared by <br />OSM. These documents, other documents prepared by Colorado ;fined Land <br />Reclamation Division, [he Company's application, and other correspondence <br />developed during the completeness and technical reviews are part of OSM's MRP <br />and permit application file. The Colorado Mined Land Reeclamation Division and <br />OSM jointly developed proposed stipulations to assure compliance with State <br />and Federal regulations. <br />A chronology of events related to this MRP application .is enclosed. After the <br />. Trapper ;Lining, Inc, published the newspaper notice as required, no written <br />comments, objections, or requests for an informal confe:,-ence were received. <br />Written concurrence was provided by Minerals Management Service; Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Division; Bureau of Land ?tanagem~znt; letters from U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Historic Preservation Officer, the <br />Colorado Department of Health and 2loffat County Commissioners. <br />