_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (217)

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Summary of the Review Process and Amendment to the Findings Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. has applied for a revision to the permit to conduct underground mining operations at the Coal Basin Mines. Coal Basin is located in southwestern Pitkin County approximately 4 miles west of Redstone, Colorado. Redstone, in turn, is 31 miles south of Glenwood Springs via State Highways 82 and 133. All mine portals and surface facilities are located in Pitkin County and within the White River National Forest, while the underground workings extend into Gunnison County and the Gunnison National Forest. The Coal Basin operation includes five adjacent underground mines which currently produce approximately 800,000 to 1 ,300,000 tons per year. The potential tonnage which could be extracted is 2,450,000 tons per year. The permit revision was requested by Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. to revise the permit boundary as summarized below: To include the life-of-mine area and sufficient border area to account for effects of subsidence at a worst case angle of draw. The boundary of the permit area containing the tunnel portal complex, overland conveyor system, preparation plant and new coal processing waste pile has been adjusted to reflect the current boundaries of fee land, Forest Service exchange land and special use permit area. The eastern boundary of the main permit area in the vicinity of the mine portals is adjusted to coincide with the eastern boundary of Coal Lease C-09005 rather than including proposed Forest Service exchange lands that were not approved. The 5-year mining plan has been revised to accommodate adjustment of longwall panels 104, 208 and 209 and mains to allow mining beyond the original 5-year mine plan as detailed in Maps II-A-2 and II-A-3 as revised August, 1985. The revised permit boundary now includes 11 ,340 acres, 3,991 acres of which are an addition by this revision. 432 acres are presently disturbed by surface facilities. No new surface disturbance is included in this permit revision. Review Process Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. submitted a permit revision application for the Coal Basin Mines on October 30, 1985 pursuant to Section 34-33-109 of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act. Since that time, the application has been under review by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division (Division) . The permit revision was deemed incomplete on November 6, 1985. Subsequently, the operator submitted sufficient information to cover the incomplete issues. The permit revision was deemed complete on November 27, 1985. No adequacy issues were identified in further reviews. As a result, the review process