Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866 -3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832 -8106 <br />COLORADO <br />D I V I S I ON OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br />23 November 2009 <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor <br />Mr. Kurtis Blunt <br />Harris D. Sherman <br />Colowyo Coal Company, LP <br />Executive Director <br />5731 State Highway 13 <br />Ronald W. Cattany <br />Division Director <br />Meeker, CO 81641 Natural Resource Trustee <br />Re: Colowyo Mine C- 1981 -019 <br />Preliminary Adequacy Review — Technical Revision 82 <br />Dear Mr. Blunt: <br />The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) has received the <br />Colowyo Coal Company, LP's (Colowyo) 28 September 2009 submittal of Technical <br />Revision 82 — response to stipulation 12 — variable topsoil replacement plan. The <br />revision was received on 29 September 2009 and deemed complete on 13 October 2009. <br />The Division has reviewed the submittal and has the following comments and adequacy <br />questions. <br />Background <br />On 3 July 2006 the Division approved Colowyo's Permit Revision 02 (PR -02), which <br />was the new South Taylor Pit mine plan. As a part of the PR -02 approval the Division <br />attached a number of stipulations on the permit. One of these stipulations was Stipulation <br />8, which required Colowyo to submit technical revision for a new reclamation plan for <br />the West Pit and the South Taylor Pit. Colowyo submitted this revision as Technical <br />Revision 72 (TR -72). After four rounds of adequacy the Division approved TR -72 on 24 <br />June 2009. There were two outstanding issues that were not resolved with TR -72. These <br />issues were a variable topsoil replacement depth for the West Pit and South Taylor Pit <br />and tall mountain shrub and aspen planting areas in the South Taylor Pit area. These two <br />unresolved issues were attached to the permit as Stipulations 12 and 13, respectively. <br />,Colowyo has submitted Technical Revision 82 to address the variable topsoil <br />replacement depth plan for the West Pit and South Taylor Pit and to satisfy Stipulation <br />12. <br />As with the original variable topsoil replacement plan presented in TR -72, the Division <br />believes that the overall concept is good. The original plan lacked detail and specificity. <br />Any variable topsoil replacement plan in the Colowyo permit must have enough detail <br />and specificity to ensure compliance in the field. While the Division does agree that <br />there needs to be a degree of flexibility in any reclamation plan, the original Colowyo <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines <br />