2010-10-26_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2010089

• Permit No: C2010089
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 10/26/2010
• Doc Name: Completeness Letters
• From: DRMS
• To: State & Federal Agencies
• Email Name: MLT
• Email Name: SB1
• 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 26, 2010
Tom Spezze
SW Regional Wildlife Manager
Colorado Division of Wildlife
SW Regional Service Center
415 Turner Drive
Durango, CO 81303
Re: New Horizon North Mine (Permit No. C-2010-089)
New Permit Application
Dear Mr. Spezze:
COLORADO
D IV IS I ON OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Mike King
Executive Director
Loretta E. Pineda
Director
The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33,
Section 118, Paragraph 3 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on October 25, 2010, an application for a permit to
conduct coal mining operations at the New Horizon North Mine was considered complete for the purposes of
filing. All review and comment periods as provided in the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act and
the Rules and Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining initiate from this date
of filing.
The applicant, Western Fuels-Colorado, LLC, proposes to conduct surface coal mining operations on land located
approximately 2.5 miles northwest of Nucla. The permit area is further described as follows:
Section 25 and 36, Township 47 North, Range 16 West, New Mexico Prime Meridian
The applicant proposes to develop a new surface coal mine covering approximately 322 acres in the western half
of Section 25. Surface and mineral ownership is private. Current land uses are generally agricultural in nature,
and include irrigated and dryland pasture and grazing land. The proposed post-mining land uses are irrigated and
dryland pasture. The permit area also includes an equipment haul corridor which connects to the currently active
New Horizon 2 Mine (see attached photo).
The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map of Nucla.
Your comments and concerns relating to the adequacy of fish and wildlife resources information, the fish and
wildlife plan, and the reclamation plan as it relates to fish and wildlife considerations, including potential impacts
to threatened or endangered species, are requested. If wildlife habitat is the proposed postmining land use, we
request your evaluation of proposed woody plant stocking levels, planting arrangements, and methods for
mitigation of potential adverse impacts.
A copy of the permit application is enclosed. In order for us to comply with regulatory time frames, we request
that comments be submitted to the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety at the above address by 5:00 p.m.
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines