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requested transfer of the permit to NECC (SO-02). This second application by LCC to <br />transfer the permit to NECC contained all the necessary information including a <br />replacement reclamation bond allowing the Division to respond in a timely manner <br />following expiration of the required public notice and comment period for the permit <br />transfer. Therefore, the Division determined that the best course of action was to transfer <br />the permit and once final, renew the permit to the new permittee, New Elk Coal Company. <br />On February 7, 2008 the Division received additional information related to the permit <br />renewal and on February 22, 2008 called permit renewal RN-02 complete. Notification of <br />the filing of a complete application for permit renewal was sent to the appropriate <br />governmental agencies, including the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Las Animas County <br />Planning Office, Las Animas County Commissioners, State Historic Preservation Office, <br />Colorado Water Quality Control Division, Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, US <br />Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the US Office of Surface Mining. Public <br />notice announcing the filing of a complete renewal application was done in the local <br />newspaper, The Chronicle-News, on March 26, April 2, April 9, and April 16, 2008. The <br />Division queried the Applicant Violator System (AVS) on March 31, 2008 for permittee New <br />Elk Coal Company. The system returned a recommendation of "Issue". <br />On March 14, 2008, the Division of Wildlife stated that they had no concerns about the <br />renewal and re-iterated their desire for the disturbed lands to be reclaimed using native <br />species. They also stated that there are no known threatened of endangered species <br />within or close to the project site. <br />The Division received proof of publication of the filing of the renewal application in the <br />Chronicle News on June 3, 2008. <br />The Division conducted a review of the reclamation cost estimate and forwarded it to the <br />applicant on May 20, 2008. On May 20, 2008 the Division received a copy of the <br />reclamation cost estimate for incorporation into Exhibit 23 of the permit application. <br />On June 15, 2008 Permit Transfer No. 2 (SO-02) became final with no comments received. <br />Two queries of the Applicant Violator System (AVS) were conducted on the applicant, New <br />Elk Coal Company, on July 22, 2008 and September 2, 2008 and both returned a <br />recommendation of "Issue". <br />All issues identified during the review were adequately addressed and resolved. <br />Description of the Environment <br />General Area <br />The Lorencito Canyon mine is situated near the center of the Raton Basin, southeast of the <br />town of Weston, Colorado. The County Map Topographic Series, Las Animas County, <br />Colorado, sheet 4 of 7, published by the United States Geological Survey, depicts the <br />5