2008-01-25_REVISION - C1981008

• Permit No: C1981008
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 1/25/2008
• Doc Name: Preliminary Adequacy Review & Attachments
• From: DRMS
• To: Western Fuels-Colorado
• Type & Sequence: RN5
• 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]
January 25, 2008
Mr. Ross Gubka, P.E.
Chief Engineer
Western Fuels-Colorado
P.O. Box 628
Nucla, Colorado 81424
Re: New Horizon Mine, Permit No. C-81-008
Permit Renewal Application No. 5 (RN-5)
Dear Mr. Gubka:
COLORADO
DIVISION OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Rcnatd W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) has completed a
preliminary adequacy review of the RN-5 application. Our review comments are
provided below in this letter. Please note that part of our preliminary adequacy review
for RN-5 has already been transmitted to WFC in our letter and memorandum dated
January 14, 2008. This portion of our review was specifically related to Soil Resource
Information, Topsoil Salvage and Replacement Plan, and Premining Land Use sections of
the approved New Horizon Permit. This review was expedited due to the fact that these
issues are closely related to concerns regarding postmining land use and revegetation that
arose from the mid-term review. Given the interrelated nature of the concerns addressed
in the January 14, 2008 letter and memorandum, our TR-54 adequacy letter of November
21, 2006, our TR-55 adequacy letter of December 11, 2007, and the numerous public
comment letters, we have requested that WFC submit a permit revision application
addressing Premining Land Use, Postmining Land Use, Topsoil Salvage and
Replacement, and Revegetation, by March 17, 2008. Any additional revision to the
permit application stemming from this portion of the RN-5 adequacy review should be
treated as a separate revision application.
In response to completeness notifications, we received comment letters from the
Colorado Historical Society, and the Office of the State Engineer, which are included in
Attachment 1. The Office of the State Engineer had no concerns or questions regarding
the application. The Colorado Historical Society did have a question regarding the
potential effect of the permit renewal on historic properties because the most recent map
in their files is not up to date. Please refer to our Item 4 in the adequacy review
comments below.
The Division also received five (5) formal protest letters to the application for renewal of
Western Fuels-Colorado (WFC's) existing permit (RN-5). These public comment letters
Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango
Y ?r
office of
Active and Inactive Mines