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r The response by Energy Fuels Mining Company to the adequacy review was in the form of an updated, reorganized, and retyped permit application. Renumbering of the pages in the updated application has resulted in the page references made in the original Findings document no longer being valid. The new Table of Contents should be used as a guide to the contents of the current permit application package. This updated permit application has now been reviewed by the Division and the following findings have been made. Description of the Environment The original Findings document contains an adequate summary of the Animas Mine site environment. Although the permit area of the mine was enlarged during the first permit term, almost all of the additional acreage was contiguous and environmentally consistent with the original mine site. Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans The proposed permit area during the permit renewal term will total 1333.3 acres. All of this acreage is privately owned. A total of 34.6 acres is estimated to be disturbed by current operations, 28.3 acres at the mine site and 6.3 acres at three railroad loadouts located in the City of Trinidad. As much as 52.2 acres may eventually be disturbed as a result of the anticipated expansion of the coal processing waste pile at the mine site. The original permit term for the Animas Mine under the permanent program was five years. The permit term to result from successful renewal of the permit will also be five years. At this time, it is not known by the operator if the life of the mine will exceed the term of the first permit renewal. Coal will be mined in bath the Animas and Helen Mines by continuous and conventional methods. Mining will be conducted primarily in the upper Starkville seam in the Animas Mine; although activity may eventually be transferred to the lower Starkville seam in the southern portion of the permit area. The separation of the upper and lower Starkville seams in the area of the Helen Mine is reportedly so small that the seams will probably be mined together. As much as 150,000 tons of new coal may be produced from the Animas Mine during the remainder of 1987 when active operations are resumed. Production may eventually reach 600,000 tons in each of the full fourth and fifth years of operation. Approximately 33 percent of this tonnage is estimated to be refuse. The Helen Mine may produce 158,000 tons of new coal during each of two full years of its estimated operation with the same percentage of refuse. The refuse from both mines will be placed in the coal processing waste pile at the mine site. Clean coal from the mines will be hauled by truck to local purchasers or to the railroad loadouts in the City of Trinidad. Following mine closure, 40.1 acres of an estimated 45.9 acres of disturbed surface area at the mine site will be graded, covered with topsoil, and revegetated. An estimated 5.8 acres, which includes the sediment pond, permanent diversion, haul road, and shop building will not be reclaimed but left in stable condition at the request of the land owner. All other surface facilities will be removed; the mine portals will be backfilled and sealed. -8-