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mover Letter ror 'Technical Atlequacy Review Response - Originally Vol. 12 Suite zao 740 So. Cobrado Boukrard Oerner, Cobrado 80222 Tekplnrk 30}757-7211 Northern Coal Company HAND DELIVERED: FIVE (5) COPIES TO COLORADO tfiNED LAND RECLAMATION FOUR (4) COPIES TO THE OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING June 14, 1982 Mr. Brian Munson, Project Leader Colorado Mined Land Reclamation 1313 Sherman Street 423 Centennial Building Denver, Colorado 80202 RE: Permanent Program Approval for Northern No. 1 and Rienau No. 2 Mines Dear tir. Munson: On April 16, 1982 Northern met with Fred Banta and you of the CMLR Staff to discuss the permanent program approvals for the Rienau No. 2 and Northern No. I Mines in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. In the • meeting we briefly summarized the history of these applications as Follows: Northern has been operating the Rienau No. 2 ttine since 1978 and opened the Northern No. 1 Mine in 1980. both mines are operating under interim program permits from the State and the Office of Surface Mining. In June of 1480 Northern Coal Company submitted an application under the federal permanent program regulations covering these two existing mines and proposing two additional mines in the same vicinity. Both [he State and the Office of Surface Mining have reviewed [hat application and have asked for certain additional information which Northern has responded to in part. The Office of Surface Mining has decided to do an Environmental Impact Statement on the approval of the mine plans under the permanent program. That EIS currently is in progress. During the interim Northern has decided to delay the two new mines (referred to in the application as Northern No. 2 and Northern No. 3) and is merely seeking approval of [he two existing operations under the permanent program regulations. The EIS has taken longer than either the State or Northern anticipated and we understand that the State would like to proceed with its approval on the two existing mines. During our meeting we determined that the best way to handle Ch is would be for Northern to be granted a partial approval of the mine plan submitted in June of 1980. In other words, the State will proceed with its review of the mining and reclamation plan application submitted in June of 1980 directing its review specifically to the Northern No. 1 and Rienau No. 2 !tines and grant a partial approval. In our April 16th meeting wu reviewed the three adequacy letters wlllch the CMLR Staff prepared aftar its review of the June 1980 application and picked out those itema which pertained to the ex istlnK operations. Those operations which Norrh.~rn wishes to have permitted are: xiv