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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
<br />Department of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />Phone: (303) 866-3567
<br />FAX: (303) 832-8106
<br />September 5, 2008
<br />Carl Johnston
<br />Office of Surface Mining
<br />Western Regional Coordinating Center
<br />1999 Broadway, Suite 3320
<br />P.O. Box 46667
<br />Denver, CO 80201-6667
<br />Re: West Elk Mine (Permit No. C-1980-007)
<br />Technical Revision Application No. 113 (TR-113)
<br />Box Canyon North Monitoring Well Installation
<br />Dear Mr. Johnston:
<br />COLORADO
<br />D IV IS I ON OF
<br />RECLAMATION
<br />MINING
<br />SAFETY
<br />Bill Ritter, Jr.
<br />Governor
<br />Harris D. Sherman
<br />Executive Director
<br />Ronald W. Cattany
<br />Division Director
<br />Natural Resource Trustee
<br />The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33,
<br />Section 116, Paragraph 4, of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on September 5, 2008, an application to revise
<br />coal mining operations at the West Elk Mine was considered complete for the purposes of filing. The revision was
<br />submitted by Mountain Coal Company, LLC. All review and comment periods as provided in the Act and the
<br />Regulations initiate from this date of filing.
<br />The mine operator proposes to drill a 6-inch diameter hole, approximately 400 feet deep, to the underground mine
<br />workings. The hole will be used for monitoring water in the workings. This project will disturb approximately
<br />9,000 square feet of private land for an access road and drill pad. The hole will be drilled in NE t/4 NW t/4 Section
<br />15, Township 13 South, Range 90 W. This location is in the previously approved affected (subsided) area, within
<br />the permit area of the mine. The location is 30 feet from one of the mine's sediment control ponds. The affected
<br />area at the drill site previously received cultural resources and state and federal fish and wildlife clearance during
<br />the review of Permit Revision 8 in March 2000. Permit Revision 8 included surface disturbances in this area
<br />resulting from underground mine subsidence, but did not include the well pad or wellbore that are proposed in the
<br />current Technical Revision 113.
<br />The underground coal mining operation is on land located approximately 9 miles East of Paonia, Colorado. The
<br />permit area is further described as follows:
<br />All or portions of Sections 9 through 36 (inclusive), Township 13 South, Range 90 West; Sections 23 through 26
<br />(inclusive), Township 13 South, Range 91 West; and Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Township 14 South,
<br />Range 90 West; all of the 6th Principal Meridian.
<br />The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map of Somerset.
<br />The applicant is required to publish notice in a local newspaper that this application has been deemed complete.
<br />At the time of publication of this notice, the applicant is additionally required to place a copy of this application at
<br />the Gunnison County Clerk and Recorder, 221 N. Wisconsin, Gunnison, CO 81230, and at the Division office.
<br />For additional information or to provide written comments, contact the Division of Reclamation, Mining and
<br />Safety, Room 215, 1313 Sherman Street, Denver, Colorado 80203, (303) 866-3567.
<br />Office of Office of
<br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand )unction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines
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