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The Division queried the Applicant Violator System (AVS) on several occasions during the RN-5 <br />review, and there were no violations listed; the recommendation based on the AVS checks was <br />"approve". <br />The cost estimate for bond liability has not been revised as a result of this renewal application. The <br />latest reclamation cost estimate prepared for the Phase I Bond Release (SL-2), approved on. May 7, <br />2010, remains valid. The calculated liability for the Seneca 11-W Mine is $9,078,860.00, for which <br />SCC has self bonded. <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Seneca H-W Mine is located in northwest Colorado approximately 7 miles south of Hayden in <br />Routt County. The Seneca H-W Mine lies 7 miles west of the Seneca H Mine, Permit No. <br />C-1980-005 and the Sage Creek Mine, Permit No. C-2009-087 and 3.5 miles west of the Yoast <br />Mine, Permit No. C-1994-082. The mine is located between two historic operations, Grassy Creek <br />Mine to the east, and Hayden Gulch Mine to the west. See Figure 1 for further detail. The mining <br />area can be found on the Hayden, Hayden Gulch, Mount Harris and Dunkley Quadrangles 7.5 <br />Minute Series Maps. The coal from Seneca II-W was hauled over county and private roadways by <br />private hauler to the Hayden Station Power Plant operated by Public Service of Colorado. Haulage <br />distance is approximately ten miles each way. Baseline environmental information collected for the <br />Seneca 11-W Mine can be located in Tabs 4 through 11 in the permit application. <br />Geology and Topo rg Why <br />Elevation of the general mine site varies from approximately 6400 to 8350 feet. Slopes range from <br />about 2 percent to nearly 100 percent. Prominent ledges are formed by the Twentymile sandstone in <br />the western permit area and the Trout Creek sandstone ledge in the eastern permit boundary. Many <br />of the drainages are deeply incised. <br />The Seneca II-W Mine is situated in the southeastern synclinal portion of the Sand Wash Structural <br />Basin of northwestern Colorado and south central Wyoming. Exposed strata near the mine site vary <br />in age from Late Cretaceous to Quaternary. Most units in the area are sedimentary. However, some <br />Miocene extrusives are locally present. Many faults and folds modify the regional synclinal <br />structure, however, no faults have been identified at the site. The most significant local fold is the <br />Sage Creek Anticline, located just east of the mine. Rock units dip 8 to 14 degrees to the west. The <br />Seneca 11-W Mine lies on the western flank of this anticline. The largest local structure is the Tow <br />Creek Anticline, located about 10 miles northeast of the permit area. <br />The local stratigraphic sequence, in ascending order, is the Mancos Shale; the Mesaverde Group, <br />which is subdivided into the Iles and Williams Fork Formations; and the Lewis Shale. See the <br />Exhibit 6-GX geologic cross section map series in the permit application package for further detail. <br />Seneca II-W Findings Document 8 C1982057 <br />Permit Renewal No. 5 December 9, 2010