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NOTICE OF PROPOSED DECISION <br />The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety proposes to Approve Technical Revision <br />Application No. 117 (TR-117) for the West Elk Mine (Permit No. C-1980-007), submitted by Mountain <br />Coal Company, LLC. Technical Revision 17 updates and revises information in the permit application, in <br />response to the Division's Midterm Permit Review 6. Proposed updates and revisions include: a new <br />table summarizing the Inventory of Structures and Renewable Resources, an updated table of topsoil <br />stockpiles, removal of a permit stipulation regarding hydrologic reporting that duplicates reporting <br />requirements specified in the permit text, and changing the submittal due date for the annual hydrology <br />report from April 30 to June 30 each year. The only change to the operation plan is elimination of a <br />previously approved vent shaft project that is no longer planned for construction. The reclamation cost <br />estimate for the mine was updated in this Technical Revision, resulting in a reduction of $1,599,429. The <br />updated total for the estimate is $13,842,855. This reduction resulted mainly from reduced unit costs in <br />reclamation tasks, changes in equipment selection for reclamation, and elimination of reclamation tasks <br />for projects no longer planned. <br />The West Elk Mine is an underground coal mine located in Gunnison County, approximately 9 miles east <br />of Paonia, Colorado. Coal interest is Federal and private, and the surface affected is Federal and private <br />land. The permit area encompasses approximately 17,154.90 acres. <br />This proposed decision is based on a finding that the proposed operation will comply with all <br />requirements of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, Section 34-33-101, et seq., C.R.S., <br />and the regulations promulgated thereunder. <br />Copies of the proposed decision, including stipulations, are on file for public inspection at the Colorado <br />Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, Room 215, Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman Street, <br />Denver, Colorado 80203. Persons with an interest that may be adversely affected by the proposed <br />decision may request a formal hearing before the Mined Land Reclamation Board on the proposed <br />decision. Such request must be made within ten (30) days of the initial publication of this notice, must be <br />in writing, and must state with reasonable specificity the reasons for the request and the objections to the <br />proposed decision.