2012-01-05_REVISION - C1980005 (8)

Home Browse Search

Surety Release No. 4 was approved by the Division on May 11, 2010. Phase I release was granted on 135.3 acres. Summary The Review Process On May 3, 2011, the Division notified Seneca Coal Company of the February 17, 2012 expiration date of the Seneca II Mine permit. On August 2, 2011 the Division received an application for renewal of a valid, existing permit from Seneca Coal Company for the Seneca II Mine. The application was deemed complete and appropriate agencies notified of the application on August 9, 2011. No other comments were received from notified agencies. Seneca Coal Company published public notice of its application for the permit renewal in the Steamboat Pilot during four consecutive weeks, beginning August 21, 2011. No comments regarding this permit renewal were received by the Division as a result of the public notice. The Applicant Violator System (AVS) was queried on September 7, 2011, October 21, 2011, November 28, 2011 and again on December 30, 2011. The system recommendation on the permit revision was "issue". On September 21, 2011, the Division submitted to SCC an adequacy review of the renewal application. A response to our adequacy concerns was received by the Division on October 3, 2011. The Division sent a second adequacy review letter on October 24, 2011. SCC responded via email on October 27, 2011. Seneca Coal Company's October 27, 2011 response satisfied all of the Division's remaining adequacy concerns. Description of the Environment The Seneca II Mine is located in northwest Colorado, approximately nine miles southeast of the town of Hayden in Routt County. The Seneca II Mine lies 7 miles east of the Seneca II -W Mine, Permit No. C1982-057, and 4 miles east of the Yoast Mine, Permit No. C1994-082. The majority of the previous Seneca II permit area now lies within the boundaries of the Sage Creek Mine (Permit No. C2009 -087). The current permit boundary encompasses the Pond 008 watershed boundary, on the eastern border of the Sage Creek Mine. The permit area can be found on the Milner Quadrangle 7.5 Minute Series Map. Elevations at the mine site range from 6,600 feet to 8,100 feet above mean sea level. Operations at the permitted site will involve maintenance and limited reclamation activities during the new permit term. Geology and Topography The Seneca II Mine is located on the Tow Creek anticline, a local structure within the regional Sand Wash structural basin. The local stratigraphic sequence, in ascending order, is the Mancos Shale; the Mesaverde group, which may be subdivided into the Iles and Williams Fork Formations; the Lewis Shale; and the Lance Formation, all of which are upper 3