2008-03-11_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2008086

• Permit No: C2008086
• IBM Index Class Name: APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE
• Doc Date: 3/11/2008
• Doc Name: PDEIS Review Memo
• From: Dan Mathews
• To: Mike Boulay
• Email Name: MPB
• 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]
DRMS INTERNAL MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 11, 2008
TO: Mike Boulay
FROM: Dan Mathews
RE: Preliminary Draft EIS
Red Cliff Mine Project
DRMS File No. C-2008-086
COLORADO
DIVISION O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
-&-
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
Pursuant to your request, I have reviewed the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(PDEIS) document, which we received February 22, 2008. I made sure to check those sections of
Chapter 3, "Affected Environment", on which I had previously commented in my email of August
14, 2007, to Glen Wallace. I only have a couple comments, and have not identified any issues that
are not related to previously identified concerns. Comment 1 reflects input from Steve Renner,
regarding the Hot Point Outcrop fire.
Environmental Consequences and Mitigation sections for various disciplines are somewhat
generalized, but this is probably appropriate for an EIS; much additional detail will be required at
the permitting stage.
My review comments are set forth below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
In our earlier comments, we had recommended inclusion of a discussion regarding the coal
outcrop fire located within the project area. The "Hot Point Fire" is referenced in amended
narrative on page 3.2-17, under "Affected Environment/Coal Geology", in Chapter 3. The
narrative indicates that the outcrop fire is located near the southern edge of the existing
McClane Canyon Mine leases, and that remediation is being planned for the fire. The
outcrop fire is not addressed in Chapter 4, "Environmental Consequences and Mitigation".
Surface disturbance activity in the vicinity of the outcrop fire could potentially provide
additional oxygen to the fire, exacerbating the existing situation and complicating any future
remediation efforts. Coal extraction operations could also impact, and be impacted by the
fire, depending on the seam being mined and location of the areas of proposed extraction
relative to the outcrop fire.
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver Grand )unction Durango Active and Inactive Mines