PERMFILE112199 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

\rrs^m .'9`+d ke++Cm/ Cmcutt - T,vrx~l Rrss~n l9 ~sg !_ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MINE HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS • Kerr Coal Company (Kerr) owns the Marr Strip Mine, which operated from 1974 through 1993. Active mining operations ceased in 1993 and Kerr is proceeding with mute closure and reclamation.. The mine is located in Jackson Counry, approximately ten miles east of Walden, Colorado on Counry Road 12E. An associated coal loadout facility is located just south of the town of Walden, adjacent co the Louisiana- Pacific lumber mill and Wyoming Colorado Railroad branch line. The mine pernt area encompasses approximatelti~ 1,600 acres and the Loadout, approximaceky 9 acres.. Kerr developed and initiated surface coal mining operations at the btarr Strip Mine in 1974. Previous to this, several small surface and underground mines had operated in the mine vicinity. With passage of the Surface boning Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, Kerr prepared and submitted the accompanying permit application to the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation DI~RSIOn (noa~ the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology) on Joky 30, 1979. The application was approved and a pemit issued under Pemti[ Number C-80-006 with stipulaions on March 20, 1980. The permit has been renewed at each five-year renewal period, with the most recent renewal issued on May I5, 1996. The permit has also been revised, as appropriate, to reflect changes in mining and reclamation plans, aith all revisions being incorporated into the pemit application document as they have been approved. During the period of active operations, Kerr produced coal from the Sudduth coal seam using open pit surface mining methods. The relatively steep dip of the coal seam dictated the mining method and mining operations were conduced ptvnat-ily as shovel/truck operations, although tractor scrapers, wheel loaders, and hydraulic excavators were also utilized at various times during the mine life. Mining operations occurred in three separate pit areas; the Marr Pic; 720 Pit; and Pit 1 and additional mining was planned for the Pit 2 and Pit 3 areas to the north. Coal from the Marr Mine operations was loaded into highway tractor-trailer trucks and hauled to the Kerr Loadout near Walden. At the loadout the coal was loaded onto trains and hauled north through Fos Park to the Union Pacific mainline near Lazamie, Wyoming. The branch line from the mainline to Walden w-,u supported primarily by coal haulage from the Marc Mine and haulage of wood products from the Lousiana-Pacific lumber mill. With the changing economics of rail haulage and wood products and increased pricing competition from large Powder River Basin coal producers impacting coal sales and shipment volumes, the decision was made to abandon the Walden branch rail line. Railroad abandonment eliminated the only available low-cost transportation option for coal from the btarr Mine and rendered ongoing mine operation economically infeasible. While significant reserves of low-sulfur coal remain in the planned mining areas to the north, the economic factors forced suspension of mining operations for the Marc Mine and all related activities. Active mining was completed in the Mart Pit in 1978 and the Marr Pit disturbance areas were reclaimed during the period from 1978 through 1983. Mining operations were completed in the 720 Pit in 1983, and in Pit 1 in eazly 1993. The total acreage of mining-related disturbance for the Marr Mine and Loadout areas is 387 acres as documented in the 1997 Annual Reclamation Report. Following slsspension of mining operations, final mine closure and reclamation activities were initiated at the end of January 1993. Final backfilling, regrading, topsoiling, and mulch crop seeding of rema~n~ng dimnrbance azeu including the 720 Pit and usociated OB-2 overburden stockpile area, the Pit 1 area, and associated road corridors, were completed in 1995. As a result of negotiated settlement of a bond release dispute with the Federal Office of Surface Mining, additional earthwork, regrading, and final reclamation activities were completed in the Pit 1 azea in 1996. Moss of the stockpiled coal rema~~~~g in the Loadout area wu removed in 1996 and some facilities demolition and removal activities have been completed For the mine and loadout in 1998. Final reclamation plans for the • Loadout Eaciliry were submitted as Technical Revision TR-18 in September 1998. Other recent site activtties (1997 through present) have been limited to ongoing stte inspettions; maintenance, including routine cleaning of ditches and nilveru and noxiotss weed control; management of the reclaimed areas; and miscellaneous compliance activities. a,;r.n lrsui I I/lNel J.