GENERAL56423

• Permit No: C1982057
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 11/17/2004
• Doc Name: Proposed Decision & Findings of Compliance for PR4
• Permit Index Doc Type: Findings
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Introduction
This document is the decision package prepared by the Colorado Division of Minerals and
Geology (the Division) for the Seneca II-W Mine. This document includes: 1) the proposed
decision to approve with stipulations the permit renewal application; 2) a summary which
includes a history of the review of the permit application, a description of the environment
affected by the operation and a description of the mining and reclamation plan; and 3) the written
fmdings of compliance the Division has made as required by the Colorado Surface Coal Mining
Reclamation Act. Detailed information concerning the findings of compliance can be found in
the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining.
This document was originally prepared in June 2001 for Permit Renewal No. 3 for surface coal
mining and reclamation operations at the Seneca II-W Mine. The application was submitted by
Seneca Coal Company (SCC), the current operator and permittee. The document was updated
in May 2003 to incorporate fmdings associated with Permit Revision No. 3 (PR-3). PR-3
allowed for a significant expansion of disturbance within the previously approved permit
boundary. Information regarding PR-3 is summarized in this document, but for description
of operational changes and specific approvals relevant to PR-3, please refer to the May 2,
2003 Findings of Compliance update.
This document has been further updated (October 2004) to incorporate fmdings associated
with Permit Revision No. 4 (PR-4). The PR-4 application was submitted by SCC, and
received by the Division September 19, 2003. The primary operational change associated
with PR-4 is the incorporation of highwall miner coal extraction. In addition, this
document has been amended to reflect various operational and reclamation plan changes,
and amended hydrologic projections that have been modified by various revisions
subsequent to approval of Permit Renewal 3, but not previously incorporated into the
Findings Document.
Amended narrative associated with PR-4, and other modifications made to update the
document to reflect current operational plans and projections are in bold print.
The mine is located on federal, state and private lands within Routt County, Colorado. The legal
description of the lands included within the permit area is:
Township 5 North, Range 88 West, 6th P.M. -Mine Area
Section 9: Portions of SE'/aNE'/a, NE'/aSE'/a ,and W'hNE'/a
Section 10: S'/zS'/zNW'/a, SW'/a, SE'/a, Portions of S'hNE'/a
Section 11: Portions of SthS'/zSW'/a
Section 14: Portions of SW'/a, NW'/a, and S'/z S'/zSE'/a
Section 15: All
Section 16: Portions of W'/zNW'/a, SE'/aNW'/a, NEt/aSW'/a, and SE'/a
Section 21: Portions of E'/zNE'/a
Seneca II-W Findings Document 1 November 17, 2004
Permit Revision No. 4