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PtA OF rN <br />i <br />W? ti <br />4 _ <br />Q?' <br />• ARCH 1 <br />IN REPLY REFER TO: <br />Memorandum <br />To: <br />From <br />Subject: <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />Reclamation and Enforcement <br />P. O. Box 46667 <br />Denver, Colorado 80201-6667 <br />December 1, 2008 <br />Recommendation for Approval, With a Special Condition, of the Mining Plan <br />Modification for Federal Leases C-1362 and COC-67232 at Mountain Coal <br />Company, L.L.C.'s West Elk Mine located in Delta and Gunnison Counties, <br />Colorado <br />1. Recommendation <br />I recommend approval, with a special condition, of a mining plan modification for <br />• Federal leases C-1362 and COC-67232 to install up to137 methane drainage wells on 116 <br />well pads and to construct 8.52 miles of access roads disturbing 47.5 surface acres over <br />the next twelve (12) years at the West Elk Mine. This is a mining plan modification for <br />an underground coal mine being permitted under the Federal lands program, the approved <br />Colorado State program, and the Colorado State-Federal cooperative agreement. <br />My recommendation to approve the mining plan modification is based on: <br />Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C.'s complete permit application package (PAP); <br />2. compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; <br />3. documentation assuring compliance with applicable requirements of other Federal <br />laws, regulations, and executive orders; <br />4. comments and recommendations or concurrence of other Federal agencies, and <br />the public; <br />5. the findings and recommendations of the Bureau of Land Management regarding <br />the resource recovery and protection plan, the Federal lease requirements and the <br />Mineral LeasinE, Act. and: <br />• <br />TAKE PRIDE '} <br />IN AMERICA <br />Brent Wahlquist