2008-03-20_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2008086 ‎(2)‎

• Permit No: C2008086
• IBM Index Class Name: APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE
• Doc Date: 3/20/2008
• Doc Name: PDEIS Comment Letter
• From: DRMS
• To: BLM
• Email Name: SB1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources•
1313 Sherman 5t., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
fAX: [phone]
March 20, 2008
Ms. Catherir.-e Robertson
Bureau of Land Management
Grand Junction Field Office
2815 H Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Re: Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Red C1iffMine Project
Dear Ms. Robertson:
COLORADO
D I V I S I O N O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
- &-
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Directs
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Preliminary Draft
Environmental Impact Statement {PDEIS) for the Red Cliff Mine project. The Division
of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DBMS) has the following comments.
1. In ou;r eazlier 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
Envir•onment/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 wuld 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.
We recommend that these concerns be addressed in the appropriate sections
of Chapter 4. Ideally, the Hot Point Outcrop fire zone and adjacent areas
should be avoided by construction activity associated with the Red Cliff mine
project. This may be the case, but clarification should be provided regarding
location of the outcrop fare and coal seam(s) affected by the fire, proximity of
proposed surface disturbance to the outcrop.fire, and coal seams that would
potentially be extracted in the vicinity of the outcrop fare. The potential for
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