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 />June 18, 2010 <br />Mr. Lance Wade <br />Mine Manager <br />Western Fuels - Colorado, LLC <br />P.O. Box 628 <br />Nucla, CO 81424 <br />RE: New Horizon Mine, Permit No. C-1981-008 <br />Permit Revision No. 6 <br />Dear Mr. Wade: <br />COLORADO <br />D I V I S I ON OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor <br />James B. Martin <br />Executive Director <br />Loretta E. Pineda <br />Director <br />The Division of Mining Reclamation and Safety (Division) is completing our review of Permit Revision No. 6 <br />(PR-06) submitted by Western Fuels-Colorado (WFC) for the New Horizon Mine. <br />Based on our review, the Division will not be able to approve PR-06. There are many issues that remain <br />unresolved including questions on the material balances and the final reclamation plans over the entire permit <br />area. Most critical are the unresolved questions for the prime farmland areas. <br />Today is the Division's deadline for proposing a decision on PR-6. Since we cannot approve the revision <br />today, we have three options. The first option is for the Division to propose a denial on PR-6. The second <br />option is to for WFC to withdraw the current PR-6 application and re-submit the application after <br />consideration of the Division's third adequacy letter. The last option is for WFC to request an extension to the <br />proposed decision deadline until June 30, 2010. <br />Regardless of the option taken, mining and reclamation activities on the prime farmland areas will be limited <br />until all regulatory and statutory requirements are satisfied. WFC will be allowed to complete mining in the <br />active pit on the Morgan property. Completion of drilling, blasting, overburden and coal removal from those <br />areas already stripped of topsoil and "Bench. V material will be allowed. No further topsoil removal, Bench 1 <br />removal, grading, topsoil replacement or seeding is to occur on the prime farmlands. WFC can commit in <br />writing to restrict activities as described above until the issues are resolved or the Division will take <br />enforcement actions to limit mining and reclamation activities. <br />It is our preference to resolve these issues as expeditiously as possible. This would be accomplished by WFC <br />agreeing, in writing, to the limited operations and providing the Division a clear, concise plan for the final ' <br />reclamation of the' New Horizon II Mine. <br />Si cerely, <br />Sandra L. Brown <br />Sr. Environmental Protection Specialist <br />cc: David Berry <br />Marcia Talvitie <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines