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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 8663567 <br />FAX: (303) 832$106 <br />May 15, 2006 <br />Mr. Edward M. Baltzer, District Manager <br />Walsh Environmental Scientists and Engineers, LLC <br />535 Grand Avenue <br />Grand Junction, CO 81501-2790 <br />RE: South Taylor Pit <br />Colowyo Mine, Permit No. C-1981-019 <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION O F <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />REC LANATION•MINING <br />UFFTY•SCIENCE <br />Bill Owens <br />Covemor <br />Russell George <br />Executive Dilettor <br />Ronald W. Canany <br />Division Director <br />Natural Resource Trunee <br />This letter is in response to your request for a determination of mountaintop removal for the <br />South Taylor Pit at the Colowyo Mine. As you correctly state Rules 2.06.3 and 4.26 set forth the <br />provisions for Mountaintop Removal Mining. In your letter, you provided a brief summary of <br />the proposed project and a figure showing the proposed azea. You state that the `entirety of the <br />X and A seams will be removed from the top of the anticline within the mountain except for the <br />portion of the A seam that extends beneath the Section 16 pit and adjacent azea.' Rule 2.06.3(2) <br />defines mountaintop removal mining as, `surface mining activities, where the mining operation <br />removes an entire coal seam or seams running through the upper fraction of a mountain, ridge, or <br />hill, by removing substantially all of the overburden off the bench and creating a level plateau or <br />a gently rolling contour...'. On your figure, there does appear to be two hilltops, within the <br />boundaries of a much larger pit, which will be completely removed. However, the pit will <br />continue downward to extract several seams below the X and A seams. Based on the <br />information presented, it is uncleaz if the provisions for mountaintop removal apply in this <br />situation. Further information would be needed to make that determination. <br />We would be happy to meet with you to discuss this further. Please feel free to contact Jim Stazk <br />or me. <br />Sincerely, <br />~.~~ <br />Sandra L. Brown <br />Sr. Environmental Protection Specialist <br />c. Jim Stazk <br />Tay Tonozzi <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined land Rxlamation Active and Inatdve Mines Geological Survey <br />