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-3- SUMMARY The Review Process, Description of the Environment and Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan The Review Process Twentymile Coal Company (TCC) is applying for a mining and reclamation permit for the Fish Creek Tipple under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act. The tipple is located in Routt County, Colorado, approximately ten (10) miles southwest of Steamboat Springs. The tipple is operated by Savage Coal Service Corporation. Twentymile Coal Company (formerly Energy Fuels Corporation) submitted a permit application (C-036-81) for compliance with Colorado's Permanent Regulatory Program on February 18, 1981. The permit application included proposals for surface mining at the Energy No. 3 mine, underground mining at the Middle Creek Mine and operation of the tipple on Fish Creek. Since the application was submitted, it has been revised. The original permit application (C-036-81) was separated into two applications, one submitted by Colorado Yampa Coal Company for the Energy Mine No. 3 and Middle Creek Mine (C-84-062) and a revised C-036-81 submitted by Twentymile Coal Company for the Fish Creek tipple. The new permit application for the Energy Mine No. 3 and Middle Creek Mine was submitted on January 23, 1984. The Energy Mine No. 3 permit application did not include the Fish Creek tipple. Permit application C-036-81 was rewritten and reference to the Energy No. 3 Mine and the Middle Creek Mine were removed from the original permit application. Permit C-036-81 now addresses only the Fish Creek tipple. No federal lands are involved with this application. Description of the Environment The proposed permit area is approximately 6,600 feet above sea level. The topography consists of rolling hills grading to relatively flat, narrow valleys along the two streams draining the area. In the general vicinity of the permit area, the Twentymile Sandstone has formed prominent cliffs making it an easily recognizable unit. The permit area is located in the upper reaches of the Yampa River Basin and it is drained by Fish Creek and Middle Creek. Fish Creek flows through the northwest portion of the tipple facility while Middle Creek flows under the southern most portion of the tipple haulroad. Fish Creek is a perennial stream having a baseflow derived mainly from ground water discharge. Middle Creek is an intermittent stream. Both streams drain into Trout Creek northeast of the permit boundary.