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<br />Surface ownership includes a variety of private leases, subleases and <br />easements. The tie-across haul road also includes some lands owned by the <br />State of Colorado. <br />The total area permitted, including the tie-across haul road is approximately <br />1,581 acres. The maximum disturbed area is 706 acres. The disturbed area <br />includes the mine pit area, surface support facilities, haul roads and <br />drainage control facilities. Currently the mine is in a developmental stage. <br />The first pit has been opened, roads and ditches are being constructed and <br />facilities are being built. Mining will occur in the southern area for a <br />total of l0 years. The proposed total life-of-mine (both north and south <br />areas) is 13 years, with a total estimated production of 8,369,700 tons of <br />coal. Annual production will range from approximately 280,000 tons to <br />821,000 tons. <br />Topsoil is removed and stockpiled or when possible live-handled. Following <br />topsoil removal the overburden is blasted. Using the dragline, the initial <br />box cut was spoiled onto previously stripped but unmined ground creating a <br />temporary overburden stockpile with each successive cut going into the <br />previous pit. The operator requested that three areas receive a variance from <br />contemporaneous reclamation. See the back filling and grading section of this <br />document for a discussion of these variances. Two areas will be temporarily <br />stabilized while the third will not since it will be redisturbed before <br />vegetation would have a chance to be established. <br />Raw coal is loaded onto haul trucks in each pit. The trucks will travel along <br />the permitted haul roan to County Road 53. The trucks continue on County Road <br />53 to the tie-across haul road which provides direct access to the <br />Colorado-Ute generating station at Hayden, Colorado. <br />All disturbed area runoff is controlled, treated and conveyed throughout the <br />site to ensure compliance with applicable laws. One sediment pond, Pond 006, <br />provides sediment control for all disturbance to occur during this permit <br />term. The pond will remain as a permanent stock watering pond. <br />Upon cessation of mining activities the following will occur: surface <br />facilities will be removed, all surface disturbances including variance areas <br />will be regraded to approximate original contour, topsoil will be <br />redistributed over the area and the area will be revegetated. Reclamation <br />success will be determined by statistically comparing the reclaimed areas to <br />approved reference areas. <br />-6- <br />