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unable to collect the monies required for. the reclamation of the site <br />During the legal process to obtain the reclamation bond of $931,150.00, the pazent corporation of Pueblo Coal, <br />Oakridge Energy, Inc., entered into an arrangement with the State of Colorado to replace the bond, and <br />re-permit the Carbon Junction Mine under an entirely new pemrit. With a new bond fully in place, Oakridge <br />Energy Inc. submitted an application to mine coal on July 30, 1992. The application was assigned Number <br />C-92-080 by the Division for the new Carbon Junction Mine, and the permit was finally approved on June 25, <br />1993. <br />On January 28, 1998, the Division received an application to renew a valid existing permit to conduct coal <br />mining in Colorado. The Division found the application complete on February 9, 1998. The operator published <br />the renewal request in The Durango Herald. No comments from the public or private sectors were received <br />concerning the permit renewal. All permitting issues were resolved with the exception ofbond release issues <br />regazding vegetation sampling brought about by the land use change to industrial, commercial, and residential. <br />The stipulation was resolved with the submittal of TR-0-11. <br />On Mazch 11, 2003 the Division finally received an application to renew a valid existing permit to conduct <br />reclamation only operations in Colorado. The Division found the application complete on March 13, 2003. <br />Proof of publication was received on May 15, 2003 with publication dates from Mazch 19 through Apri19, <br />2003. <br />Applicant Violator System (AVS) checks have a recommendation of issue <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Cazbon Junction Mine is located in southwestern Colorado, approximately 2 1/2 miles southeast of the <br />town of Durango. Elevation of the area ranges from approximately 6800 feet to 7400 feet. <br />The mine is located in the upper drainage basin of Cazbon Junction Canyon. This is an intemuttent tributary to <br />the Animas Rivet The total draitage basin of Cazbon Junction Canyon is 0.8 square miles. This drainage has a <br />steep gradient and, through much of its reach, is contained within steep valley walls. <br />The rock units exposed in the permit and adjacent azeas aze all Cretaceous in age. These units include the <br />Lewis Shale, the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone, the Fruitland Formation and the Kirtland Shale. The Carbon <br />Junction Mine lies over the Lewis coal seam ("C" seam), Cazbonero seam ("B" seam) and the Shamrock seam <br />("A" seam) within the Fruitland Formation. <br />Geology <br />The applicant has supplied sufficient geologic information for the permit and adj acent azeas within the permit <br />application. Geologic information contained within the permit application can be found in Sections 2.04.5, <br />2.04.6; Table 4-1; Map 4-2; and Appendix 4-2 of the permit application. <br />The Carbon Junction Mine permit area is located on the northern rim of the San Juan structural basin in <br />Southwest Colorado. The sedimentary strata in the permit azea dip 26 to 30 degrees to the southeast and strike <br />North 45° West. There aze no mapped faults within the permit and adjacent areas. Folding within the general <br />area, however, has produced fracturing within the more brittle sandstone and coal strata. <br />The sandstones are resistant to erosion and form prominent ridges and cliffs at outcrops. Stream valleys within <br />