Laserfiche WebLink
On April 26, 1993, the Division approved an additional five -year renewal (RN -2) for Western <br />Fuels- Colorado with a stipulation requiring that a permit revision be submitted to separate the <br />permit application into two separate documents since the two mines were not contiguous. The <br />stipulation was satisfied with the submission of PR -3 which was approved on June 1, 1994. <br />On April 22, 1996, the Division received an application for a permit revision (PR -4) to add an <br />additional 100.7 acres to the New Horizon Mine 2 (formerly Nucla East) permit area. Adequacy <br />issues were resolved on September 24, 1996, and the revision was approved and became final on <br />December 9, 1996. <br />On September 26, 1997, the Division received an application to renew a valid existing permit to <br />conduct coal mining in Colorado. All issues addressed in the adequacy reviews were resolved <br />and the permit renewal (RN -3) became final on April 26, 1998. <br />On September 14, 1999, the Division received an application for a permit revision (PR -5) to add <br />an additional 476.9 acres to the New Horizon Mine 2 permit area. The expanded acreage <br />included properties north of BB Road and west of 2700 Road. Final adequacy issues were <br />resolved on April 14, 2000, and the proposed decision for approval was issued on April 24, 2000. <br />On September 27, 2002, the Division received an application to renew a valid existing permit to <br />conduct coal mining operations in Colorado (RN -4). The application was found to be complete <br />on November 25, 2002. Adequacy issues were resolved on March 21, 2003 and the permit <br />renewal proposed decision was issued on March 25, 2003. <br />On November 13, 2007, WFC submitted an application for renewal of the permit (RN -5). The <br />Division called the application complete on November 27, 2007, and issued the Preliminary <br />Adequacy Review on January 25, 2008. Due to the concurrent determination that the permit area <br />included prime farmlands, issuance of RN -5 was delayed pending the approval of TR -57. The <br />Division issued a proposed decision to approve the renewal with Stipulation Nos. 16 and 17 on <br />August 25, 2009. Following the 30 -day public comment period, RN -5 was issued on October 8, <br />2009, with Stipulation Nos. 16 and 17 attached. <br />In response to Stipulation Nos. 16 and 17, WFC submitted an application for Permit Revision <br />No. 6 on November 12, 2009. Adequacy issues were successfully resolved, and the Division <br />issued its proposed decision to approve PR -6 on October 1, 2010. Objections to the decision <br />were received, and the matter was heard by the Mined Land Reclamation Board on November <br />17, 2010. The Board upheld the Division's approval of PR -6. Written notice of the Board's <br />decision is pending, and has not been received as of this date. <br />The New Horizon Mine encompasses a total of 926.06 acres. Of this total, 98.62 acres are <br />located within the New Horizon Mine 1 (Peabody's original Nucla Mine) permit block. Also <br />known as the "Rice tract ", this acreage was reclaimed by Peabody in approximately 1991, but <br />has not yet achieved Phase III revegetation success standards. New Horizon Mine 2 occupies the <br />remaining 827.44 acres of the permit area, and is located immediately west of the town of Nucla. <br />New Horizon Mine -3- December 8, 2010 <br />