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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 />6 March 2009 <br />Mr. Ryan Pawlowski <br />Colowyo Coal Company, LP <br />5731 State Highway 13 <br />Meeker, CO 81641 <br />Re: Colowyo Mine C-1981-019 <br />Preliminary Adequacy Review - Technical Revision 79 <br />Dear Mr. Pawlowski: <br />COLORADO <br />D I V I S I O N 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 has received Colowyo's 4 March 2009 submittal of Technical Revision 79 <br />- spoil grading plan. The revision was originally deemed incomplete on 13 February <br />2009 then, after conversations with Colowyo, was deemed complete on 23 February <br />2009. The Division has reviewed the submittal and has the following adequacy <br />questions. <br />Rule 4.14 - Backfilling and Grading <br />The text in Section 4.14 of the approved Colowyo Permit provides general backfilling <br />and grading details including an analysis showing that Colowyo does not have either thin <br />or thick overburden. No specifics are provided regarding any of the backfilling and <br />grading operations. The nature of Colowyo's multi-seam mining makes it necessary to <br />delay reclamation for a number of years as the pit gets progressively longer and deeper, <br />until the final pit floor is reached following the removal of the F-Seam Coal. At that <br />point the draglines will be casting spoil into the previous cut and the mining operation <br />will have reached a steady-state. Based on the progression of mining at the Colowyo <br />Mine, as observed during monthly inspections and discussions with Colowyo <br />environmental and production staff, this steady-state has been achieved in the West Pit. <br />Because a steady-state operation has been achieved, Colowyo can now commence with a <br />large amount of backfilling and grading in the trailing pit. The purpose of this revision is <br />to provide the details of the contemporaneous reclamation and the backfilling and grading <br />plan pursuant to Rules 4.13, 4.14(1)(c) and 2.05.4(2)(c). <br />1. On 4 March 2009 the Division received an additional page to the Technical <br />Revision 79 submittal titled "Current Topography vs. PMT". This page <br />shows what the existing West Pit topography, in its ungraded state, looks like <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines