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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 />March 24, 2011 <br />Ron Thompson <br />New Elk Coal Company, LLC <br />122 West First Street <br />Trinidad, CO 81082 <br />Re: New Elk Mine (Permit No. C-1981-012) <br />Technical Revision No. 56 (TR-56) <br />Incidental Boundary Change/Allen-Apache Mining <br />Dear Mr. Thompson: <br />COLORADO <br />D I V I S I ON OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br />The Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (Division) has completed an <br />adequacy review of the materials submitted for Technical Revision No. 56 (TR-56) <br />for the New Elk Mine. Please respond to the issues noted below in bold text as <br />soon as possible. <br />General Discussion <br />TR-56 proposes development only mining in the Allen seam in the SW1/4 SW1/4 <br />Section 13, SE1/4 Section 14, NE '/ Section 23 and the NW1/4 Section 24 T33S <br />R68W of the 6th P.M. Mining is also proposed in the Apache seam, with mains <br />established in the SE1/4 Section 23 and both mains and development and retreat <br />mining in the NE1/4 Section 26 T33S R68W of the 6th P.M. <br />While no subsidence is planned in the Allen seam mining area, structures, including <br />residential dwellings, exist over the planned mining area. Where Apache seam <br />mining is proposed, one CBM well, 26-9, is currently established about 600 feet <br />measured horizontally from the vertical projection of the area to- be_develop-ed '- <br />retreat mined in NE '/ Section 26. Overburden in this area ranges from 500-800 <br />feet in thickness above the Apache seam. Subsidence could affect the CBM well <br />and associated structures, including the road, water line, and gas line, as shown on <br />Map 20, sheet 1 and Map 20, sheet 2 (detail S). <br />TR-56 proposes an incidental boundary change, increasing the permit area by 22.5 <br />acres, generally located in the SE1/4 Section 23, to accommodate mains for <br />ventilation of the mine in the Apache seam. <br />Concurrent with the adequacy review of TR-56, the Division is also reviewing <br />Permit Revision No. 2 (PR-02) to expand the permit area significantly by nearly <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver - Grand )unction - Durango Active and Inactive Mines