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The applicant, as part of this permit application, is proposing to open the <br />~ Bear tlo. 3 Mine, which would be located approximately one-half mile west of <br />the existing operations at the site of the abandoned Edo~ards mine on the same <br />side of the river. The coal lease (D-052501) is owned by Anchor Coal Company <br />and leased to the Bear Coal Company. Also included in that lease is 8 acres <br />of surface along the North Fork of the Gunnison which Anchor also owns. The <br />coal proper is under surface land owned by AR CO. The Bear Coal Company began <br />mining at their present location in 1934 and has mined continuously since that <br />date. They produce between 250,000 to 300,000 tons of coal per year from the <br />Paonia Member "C" seam from Federal Coal Leases D-044569 and C-0117192. <br />Approximately 19 acres of surface has been disturbed by portals, a haul road, <br />office and shop facilities located south of the river, and a loadout facility <br />located north of the river. Bear Coal Company proposes to mine the "C" seam <br />in Federal Coal Lease D-052501, immediately adjacent to their existing <br />workings. The surface disturbance associated with the proposed Bear No. 3 <br />Mine will be approximately 8 acres, with a total affected area of 287 acres. <br />The permit application that is being proposed for approval by Colorado Mined <br />Land Reclamation Division (CMLRD) and OSM was submitted in two parts and is <br />discussed in the chronology of events. <br />The proposed Bear ~3 Mine site will use the abandoned Edwards Mine that will <br />be rejuvenated to mine Federal coal. This site is located immediately east of <br />Somerset (1/4 mile), Colorado at an elevation of 6,000 feet with road access <br />from State Route 133. The mine site is ten (10) miles east of Paonia, <br />Colorado and is served by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. The en- <br />tire operation is in Gunnison County. The mine site is on the south canyon <br />wall of the North Fork of the Gunnison river valley overlooking Somerset, Col- <br />orado. The site contains a typical Western Colorado Pinyon/Juniper community <br />with Pine and Aspens located on the property upland from the portal area. The <br />site area is drained by one perennial drainage, the North Fork of the Gunnison-. <br />River. <br />The new Bear ,#3 Mine <br />wards Mine, and mine <br />The surface facility <br />turbance is anticipa <br />previous reclamation <br />until 1966 with some <br />will use the ground area and portals of the <br />coal from the seam "C" this mine previously <br />area (8 acres) is prelaw disturbance and no <br />ted. Much topsoil already was previously de <br />undertaken. The area in question was mined <br />500,000 total tons of coal produced. <br />farmer Ed- <br />utilized. <br />further dis- <br />stroyed and no <br />from 1934 <br />The proposed Bear H3 Mine operation will use continous miners and a roam and <br />pillar technique of mining that will produce approximately 275,000 tons per <br />year over an eight year period. For the purposes of this application, Bear <br />Coal Company is requesting only a 5 year permit for mining in the "C" seam al- <br />though Bear may submit future information regarding the mining of the B, E and <br />F coal seams in later 5 year permits. <br />A variance on the 100 ft. stream buffer zone requirement has been requested .by <br />Bear Coal Company. The rationale is fully explained on page 17 of the Tech- <br />nical Analysis. Also another variance regarding approximate original contours <br />(AOC) has been requested by the Bear Coal Company. A discussion regarding the <br />AOC variance and its approval rationale is discussed on page 88 of the Tech- <br />nical Analysis. Also there are several dwellings in Somerset, Colorado ~dithin <br />300 feet of the permit area. Affected people signed a waiver indicating their <br />~ understanding and provided comments on the mining activities. A copy of this <br />waiver was provided in the applicants MRP as exhibit 3 in vol.2. It is pro- <br />posed that these variances be granted. <br /> <br />