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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />Governor <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />g4 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />C O L O R A D O <br />Phone: (303) 866 -3567 <br />D I V I S I O N OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />FAX: (303) 832 -8106 <br />MINING <br />--- &— <br />April 9, 2010 <br />SAFETY <br />James A. Kiger <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Environmental Manager <br />Governor <br />Oxbow Mining LLC <br />� <br />lames B. Martin <br />Executive Director <br />i i • �� <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />Re: Elk Creek Mine, Permit No. C -1981 -022, Oxbow Mining LLC ( OMLLC) <br />Technical Revision No. 68 (TR -68) - Adequacy Review <br />Elk Creek Fan Bench Methane Drainage Facility <br />Dear Mr. Kiger: <br />The Division of Reclamation Mining, and Safety (Division) has reviewed the above referenced <br />technical revision application materials submitted for a methane drainage facility at the Elk <br />Creek Mine Fan bench. With this technical revision, OMLLC proposes to expand the upper Elk <br />Creek Mine Fan bench by approximately 0.1 acres to facilitate completion of a 210' deep, 18" steel <br />eased methane drainage borehole and construction of a twin electric driven methane exhauster <br />system. The operator has requested no new disturbed acreage with this revision application. The <br />Division has the following adequacy review comments regarding the proposed plan. <br />1. The proposed facility will be located within the present disturbance boundary. However, <br />it is located very close to the edge of the approved disturbance line and there is limited <br />work space at this location. if additional disturbance is necessary to adequately construct <br />the drill pad site then OMLLC will need to revise the application and update appropriate <br />maps and permit sections accordingly. To ensure compliance, please keep the Division <br />informed of the construction progress at the methane drainage facility site and whether <br />additional disturbed acreage will be requested. <br />2. The site of the proposed borehole drill pad and methane drainage exhausters/building <br />location will be constructed at the present location of the North Small Area Exemption <br />(North SAE). The North SAE is immediately adjacent to Elk Creek. The Division has <br />approved the diversion of Elk Creek an intermittent stream at this location. The Division <br />has also approved surface and underground mining operations within and through Elk <br />Creek (refer to RN -5 Findings document dated February 9, 2009). The stream channel <br />will be reconstructed in accordance with 4.05.4(4). <br />A substantial portion of the North SAE will be occupied by the borehole site and methane <br />drainage facility. This will effectively reduce the size of the North SAE. Because the <br />North SAE configuration will be significantly changed, the existing North SAE <br />demonstration contained in Section 2.05 -E3, Section 9 of the permit application package <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines <br />