2008-03-04_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981008 ‎(3)‎

• Permit No: C1981008
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Date: 3/4/2008
• Doc Name: Response Letter
• From: DRMS
• To: JoEllen Turner
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
March 4, 2008
Ms. JoEllen Turner
Box 346
Nucla, CO 81424
RE: New Horizon Mine
Dear Ms. Turner:
COLORADO
DIVISION O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
-&-
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
I received your letter to the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) on
March 3, 2008 regarding the topsoil handling and reclamation practices on your property.
As you accurately stated a meeting was held February 15, 2008 in Grand Junction. As a
result of this meeting, Western Fuels-Colorado LLC (WFC) will be submitting two
revisions in the near future. The highest priority revision will address the topsoil
handling and replacement plan at the New Horizon Mine. WFC will submit a technical
revision to the permit addressing this issue. A second revision will address the post-
mining land uses, revegetation plan and revegetation success standards. This will be
handled as a permit revision. The Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land
Reclamation Board for Coal Mining allow several opportunities for public participation
during the revision review process depending on the type of revision submitted. These
are available on-line at http://www.mining.state.co.us/. There is a link in the left margin
to the Rules & Regs where you can find them.
At this point in time, the Division has not received either revision. Once we do, a notice
will be published in the San Miguel Basin Forum and you will have the opportunity to
comment on the proposed revision(s). For technical revisions the public participation is
described in Rule 2.08.4(6)(b) of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land
Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. The comment period deadline for technical
revisions is 10 days after the publication. There is also a public comment period at the
end of the process when the Division proposes a decision. Our proposed decision is
published in the San Miguel Forum and provides aten-day public comment period. If
you object to the Division's proposed decision you can request a hearing before the
Mined Land Reclamation Board during the public comment period.
For permit revisions, the public participation process is found in Rule 2.07.3. The
applicant is required to publish once per week for four weeks in the San Miguel Basin
Forum and the comment period is open for 30 days after the last publication. For permit
revisions, there is also an opportunity to request an informal conference (Rule 2.07.3(6))
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver Grand Junction Durango Active and Inactive Mines