2008-08-18_REVISION - C1980007 ‎(10)‎

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 8/18/2008
• Doc Name: Completeness Letters
• From: DRMS
• To: State, Federal and County Agencies
• Type & Sequence: PR14
• Email Name: TAK
• 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]
August 18, 2008
Shina Duvall
Colorado Historical Society
The Colorado History Museum
Office Archeology & Historical Preservation
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
Re: West Elk Mine (Permit No. C-1980-007)
Permit Revision Application No. 14 (PR-14)
Methane Drainage Wells for Longwall Panels E2 Through E12
Dear Mr. Duvall:
COLORADO
D IV IS I ON OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33,
Section 116, Paragraph 4, of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on August 18, 2008, an application to revise coal
mining operations at the West Elk Mine was considered complete for the purposes of filing. The revision was
submitted by Mountain Coal Company, LLC. All review and comment periods as provided in the Act and the
Regulations initiate from this date of filing.
The applicant proposes to drill up to 152 methane drainage wells to the mine's underground workings in longwall
panels E-2 through E-12, during the next 12 years. The wells will be drilled within the applicant's existing coal
leasehold and mining permit area, on Federal (USFS) and private lands. The total aggregate surface disturbance
will be approximately 80 acres within an approximate 6-square mile area. The proposed project area boundary is
shown on the enclosed copies of Figures S-1 and S-2 from the PR-14 application. A Federal Environmental
Impact Statement was previously prepared for this project. The applicant is substituting this Permit Revision 14
for the proposed drilling project previously submitted to the Division as Technical Revision 112.
The underground coal mining operation is on land located approximately 9 miles East of Paonia, Colorado. The
permit area is further described as follows:
All or portions of. Sections 9 through 36 (inclusive), Township 13 South, Range 90 West; Sections 23 through
26 (inclusive), Township 13 South, Range 91 West; and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Township 14
South, Range 90 West; all of the 61" Principal Meridian.
The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle maps of Bowie and Somerset.
Because the above-referenced permit revision application would incorporate additional lands into the permit area
or might otherwise alter previously approved permit conditions or mitigation measures, we are requesting your
agency's evaluation of the potential for impacts to cultural and historic resources.
In accordance with the May 1991 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our agencies, we must have
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