2008-12-23_REVISION - C1981012

• Permit No: C1981012
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 12/23/2008
• Doc Name: Adequacy Response
• From: DRMS
• To: Peak Project Management
• Type & Sequence: RN5
• Email Name: KAG
• 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]
December 23, 2008
Ronald G. Thompson
Peak Project Management
34115 County Road 20.8
Trinidad, CO 81082
Re: Permit Renewal No. 5 (RN-05)
New Elk Mine (Permit No. C-81-012)
New Elk Coal Company, LLC.
Dear Mr. Thompson:
COLORADO
D I V I S ION OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
The Division received your adequacy responses on November 25, 2008 regarding Permit
Renewal No. 5 (RN-05) for the New Elk mine. Given the fact that the permit boundary is
planned to be expanded and the Apache Canyon airshafts are planned to be included in the
permit application, we are extending the decision date for the Permit Renewal No. 5 (RN-05)
to February 24, 2009. Concurrently, we are updating the cost estimate with current unit costs
and will forward to you for review as soon as it is complete.
With regard to the desire to expand the permit boundary and add facilities, the Division
requests that New Elk Coal Company (NECC) submit a permit revision after this permit
renewal (RN-05) is approved in accordance with Rule 2.08.4(1)(d). Boundary changes will
be necessary on a variety of maps, including, but not limited to, surface and coal ownership.
Section 2.03 information regarding adjacent landowners will also be required. Review of all
appropriate portions of Rule 2 and Rule 4 will be necessary in light of the plan to expand the
permit boundary.
The Division reviewed the information submitted with regard to the permit renewal and has
the following additional questions or responses to our original concerns. Our original
questions are included (or paraphrased) in italics.
1. NPDES permit - Exhibit 22
We have no further questions. The Division will add the new permit to Exhibit 22.
One error was noted on page 4 of the rationale. The paragraph at the bottom of page
4 incorrectly equates 2500 gpm as 5.6 MGD. 2500 gpm is 5.6 CFS or 3.6 MGD. You
may want to have this corrected by the WQCD.
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction 9 Durango Active and Inactive Mines