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Summary of the Review Process <br />The Division sent out a 270 day notification to renew a valid Coal Mining Permit on May 14, 2001 <br />to Honeywood Coal Company and J. E. Stover and Associates. The Division received a complete <br />application for RN-02 on June 14, 2001. Acknowledgement of this was made to the operator and <br />engineering firm handling the permit renewal on June 20, 2001. Publication of the proposed permit <br />renewal was made July 12, 19, 26 and August 2, 2001 in the San Miguel Basin Forum. Staff <br />comments generated in regard to adequacy issues identified during the review of the proposed <br />revision were conveyed to J.E. Stover and Associates in a letter dated August 10, 2001. Three AVS <br />checks were conducted, the first on August 24, 2001 and the last on February 1, 2002. A problem <br />with one of the controlling personnel for a Kentucky mine was cleared on this last AVS check. The <br />final revised narrative and maps were received on January 2, 2002. No public comments <br />concerning the permit renewal were received. The remaining issues were addressed with this <br />material. The Division is proposing to approve the application for RN-02. <br />Description of the Environment <br />Introduction <br />The Hamilton Mine permit area now encompasses 757 acres. The area is situated atop a gently <br />north-sloping mesa overlooking Naturita Creek and the San Miguel River. The mesa is part of an <br />extensive flat-land area which extends southeast to the San Juan Mountains. The area was formed <br />from the resistant, Cretaceous-age Dakota Sandstone and Burro Canyon Formation. The Dakota <br />Sandstone is the bedrock of the mine area and contains the coal to be mined. The mesa to be mined <br />is bounded on the west by Bramiers Draw and on the east by Long Draw. The northernmost permit <br />boundary is approximately one mile south of Naturita Canyon. The southern permit area boundary <br />is 1.5 miles south of and parallel to the northern permit area boundary. <br />The mine is located within the southeast portion of the Colorado Plateau. The region is <br />characterized by broad, fairly smooth surfaced plateaus and mesas with gently dipping slopes <br />dissected by steep canyons. Surface elevations at the Hamilton Mine range from a high of 6,050 <br />feet (MSL) in the southern part of the permit area to a low of 5,800 feet in the northern parts of the <br />permit area. Total topographic relief is thus about 250 feet. <br />Climate <br />The regional climate of the Hamilton Mine area is typical of intermountain regions. It is <br />characterized by cold winters, hot summers, low rainfall, and short growing seasons. The Hamilton <br />Mine receives approximately twelve inches of precipitation in an average year. The majority of the <br />precipitation falls between October and May. <br />Regional Geology <br />The Hamilton Mine is located near the axis of the Nucla Syncline (San Miguel Syncline) a shallow, <br />broad synclinal fold running northwesterly for 65 miles. No evidence of faults has been observed in <br />drill holes at the Hamilton Mine area. The Nucla Syncline is 10-15 miles southwest of the major <br />2