2009-10-06_REVISION - C1981042

• Permit No: C1981042
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 10/6/2009
• Doc Name: Notification of TOJ
• From: Landowners
• To: DRMS
• Type & Sequence: SL1
• Email Name: TAK
• 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]
October 6, 2009
0
COLORADO
D I V I S ION OF
RECLAMATION .
MINING
SAFETY
Michael Joseph Keighley
1495 Cherry Gulch Rd
Durango, CO 81303
Re: Termination of Jurisdiction for the Arness-McGriffin Mine, DRMS File C-81-042
Dear Sir or Madam
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) is initiating the process of terminating its jurisdiction
over the reclaimed Arness-McGriffm Mine. The Arness-McGriffin Mine is an underground coal mine where mining
activities were most recently conducted under Minerals Program permit 77-3 ug/c, which expired in 1981. The site is
located in La Plata County, Colorado, 4.5 miles west of the town of Durango, next to U.S. Highway 160 on the north side of
the road. The permit area is located on private land in the SW % Section 16, T35N, RIOW, of the New Mexico Principal
Meridian. Coal ownership is state. The permit area encompassed 40 acres, of which approximately 5 acres of land surface
were disturbed.
The operator of the mine was Arness and McGriffin Coal Company who held Minerals Program permit 77-3 ug/c, issued in
1977. The operator applied for a coal mining and reclamation permit (file no. C-81-042), but did not complete the
application process. The permittee had disturbed 5 acres on the site in preparation for underground mining, but ceased
operations prior to excavating a portal and underground entries. The Mined Land Reclamation Board issued a Cessation
Order in 1984, and ordered forfeiture of the $13,750 of reclamation bond that had been associated with permit 77-3 ug/c.
The Division reclaimed the disturbed area on the Arness-McGriffin site in 1989 and 1990, using all of the funds from the
forfeiture of bond associated with permit 77-3 ug/c. Reclamation work included backfilling the portal face-up area,
replacing growth medium, and seeding. In 2000, the Division had a private contractor regrade the access road and install a
post and cable guardrail next to the road in the portal face-up area. No additional funds are available for reclamation or site
maintenance.
Successful achievement of reclamation of the site has been demonstrated during the last 19 years by: stability of slopes;
local successful revegetation of grasses, forbs, and shrubs; lack of noxious weeds on most of the site; minimization of
impacts to the hydrologic balance within the previously permitted area; and prevention of material damage to the hydrologic
balance outside of the permitted area.
Written comments, objections, and requests for an informal conference or a formal public hearing before the Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Board may be submitted to the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology at the address above
within 30 days of the site inspection that will be conducted for this termination of jurisdiction. If you have any questions,
comments, or concerns regarding this termination of jurisdiction, please contact the Colorado Division of Reclamation,
Mining and Safety at 1313 Sherman St, Room 215, Denver, Colorado, 80203 or call [phone], extension 8128.
Sincerely,

Tom Kaldenbach
Environmental Protection Specialist
Certified Mail - Return Receipt Requested, Article no. 7005 0390 0002 8281 9226
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines