2009-09-29_REVISION - C1981047 (7)

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The Division also publishes the proposed decision in a public notice. Interested parties who wish to object to the Division's proposed decision may request, within thirty days of the first publication of the proposed decision public notice, a formal hearing before the Mined Land Reclamation Board. If no requests are received within those thirty days, the proposed decision becomes final. Blue Ribbon Mine BackLaround The Blue Ribbon Mine was an underground room and pillar mine which began operating in 1977. Prior to that time, the old Blue Ribbon Mine had operated from 1952 to 1963. The Blue Ribbon Coal Company mined the E, or Hawk's Nest, seam using continuous miners to mine down dip. The production rate was approximately 192,000 tons per year. The ownership of the minerals and land includes both private and federal entities. The permit area covers 340.8 acres with 16.9 acres of actual disturbance, The main mine site was located just to the east of Hubbard Creek while a temporary coal stockpile area was located just to the west of Hubbard Creek. The coal from the mine was screened and loaded onto trucks for shipment to market. The coal was weighed at the truck scale facility located along Highway 133. However, the scale facility was removed from the permit area in 1989 for state highway construction. Sediment control at the mine site consisted of five sediment ponds with associated ditches and culverts. Upon cessation of mining activities in 1985, the three mine portals were sealed, surface facilities removed in late 1985, and foundations and other non-combustible, non-toxic material was used to backfill the portal bench and stockpile areas in 1986. All surface disturbances except the light use road and the Hubbard Creek crossing were reclaimed to the post mining land uses of wildlife habitat, grazing and recreation. In 1984, the backfilled mine bench showed increasing stability problems. Therefore, during 1984 and 1985, the mine bench at the Blue Ribbon Mine was stabilized by rebuilding the mine bench with an engineered fill of underground coal mine waste. This material was obtained from Mountain Coal Company's West Elk Mine. The required 4 feet of cover material over the coal waste was verified and documented by the Division in its inspection report dated 12/10/1986. Ditches that were designed for the 100 yr-24 hour precipitation event were constructed to drain water around the covered coal waste pile area. Rock underdrains were placed in and under the coal mine waste to channel spring water and seepage from the coal mine waste fill. Topsoil was not completely salvaged from all of the disturbed areas since much of the mine site was disturbed prior to any such regulatory requirement. However, soil surveys conducted by the operator indicated that, with soil amendments, the existing disturbed soils were suitable as a plant growth medium. This soil material along with the topsoil that was salvaged was used over the disturbed areas to establish an adequate seedbed for vegetation. In 2004, 0.7 acres of the Blue Ribbon Mine permit area were transferred to Oxbow Mining's Elk Creek Mine permit area for exploration drill hole site access. In 2005, an additional 2.8 acres of the Blue Ribbon permit area, including pond 3, were transferred to the Elk Creek Mine permit area for Oxbow Mining's construction of vent shaft facilities.