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<br />-2- <br />• located in a typical western Colorado Pinion-Juniper community on the flanks <br />of the Book Cliffs in the Upper Cretaceous t4esa Verde Formation. Presently <br />the mine, which has been idle for two years, is in a developmental stage, that <br />utilizes continuous miners and a room and pillar mining method. The mine has <br />progressed approximately 2500 feet from the portal. The operation is <br />presently idle but when anticipated contracts materialize, the operation will <br />produce 149,000 tons of coal in the first year with an acceleration to 847,000 <br />tons in the fifth year of operation. The total anticipated production for the <br />mine will be approximately 61,183,000 tons over a thirty-year period. The <br />coal will be mined from both the Cameo and upper Carbonera Seams. Access ramps <br />will be used to gain entry into the overlying Carbonera seam. The coal will <br />be transported to the surface by conveyor, crushed, and stockpiled on the <br />portal bench area and then loaded into highway trucks and transported to the <br />loadout in Loma, Colorado. <br />The Cameo and Carbonera Seams are low sulfur, low ash, high BTU bituminous <br />coals. The dip towards the north/northeast under the Piceance Creek Basin at <br />about two degrees. Currently the mine has operated under the interim program <br />as approved July 24, 1978. <br />The mine loadout is located along a previously disturbed railroad siding at <br />Loma, Colorado some 20 miles south of the mine site. This loadout is being <br />leased from the Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad. The total <br />disturbed acrea of the loadout consists of 5.56 acres. This loadout will be <br />used by both the McClane Canyon and Munger Canyon Mines until increased <br />production reaches a point that another loadout is necessary. It is expected <br />• the company will submit an application for a loadout facility near Mack, <br />Colorado when plans are finalized. <br />Munger Canyon and McClane Canyon Mines were originally developed and opened by <br />Sheridan Enerprise's. Recently, Mack Fuel Supply, a subsidiary of <br />Colorado-Ute Electric Association Inc. and Loma Mining Company, a subsidiary <br />of Sheridan Enterprises formed a joint venture under the name of Salt Creek <br />Mining Company. Salt Creek Mining Company has become the permit applicant and <br />will be the operator of the Munger Canyon Mine. OSM reviewed the ownership <br />change for compliance with 30 CFR 782. OSM will also discuss the ownership <br />changes in its, "Notice of Decision and Availability of a Technical and <br />Environmental Analysis" scheduled to be published after permit approval. <br />A chronology of events is included denoting dates and descriptions of <br />pertinent events regarding the Munger Canyon Mine. The Munger Canyon Mine's <br />mining plan was reviewed by OSM using the Colorado State Program and the <br />Federal Lands program (30 CFR Chapter VII, Subchapter D). The Mineral Leasing <br />Act portion of the MRP was also reviewed for compliance with the applicable <br />portions of 30 CFR Part 211 (i.e., requirements and responsibilities of the <br />Minerals Management Service under the Mineral Leasing Act). The CMLRD and OSM <br />developed the stipulations which must be accepted by the applicant prior to <br />issuance of a permit. These stipulations will become an integral part of the <br />Munger Canyon Mine's Mining and Reclamation Permit. <br />The Minerals Management Service provided written concurrence with the proposed <br />action on March 10, 1981. The Bureau of Land Management gave concurrence in a <br />letter dated May 26, 1982 and said the MRP was sufficient if the listed <br />• <br />