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Introduction <br /> This report provides a brief summary of all reclamation projects that have been <br /> conducted by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS), <br /> formerly the Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) at Coal Basin. The report is <br /> divided into sections by year. Each yearly summary contains a narrative description of <br /> the individual reclamation projects conducted that year. At the end of each yearly <br /> summary is a table that provides the acreage and ownership information of the individual <br /> projects. Two tables located at the end of the report summarize project acreage and <br /> ownership information. The map at the end of the report graphically describes the <br /> approximate locations of the project areas in Coal Basin. <br /> Reclamation Overview <br /> The Coal Basin Mine is a formerly permitted mining operation. The operator of the <br /> mine, Mid Continent Resources declared bankruptcy in 1992. Subsequently, the <br /> Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board forfeited the operating permit, and revoked the <br /> reclamation bond in 1993. As a result of these actions, DRMS assumed the task of <br /> accomplishing reclamation of the site in 1994, as provided for in Colorado Surface <br /> Mining Control and Reclamation Act. <br /> Field work in support of initial reclamation tasks was conducted during the summer of <br /> 1994. Concurrently, a DRMS contractor performed maintenance work on some of the <br /> storm water conveyance systems at the site. Reclamation project bid specifications were <br /> prepared during the winter of 1994 / 1995, and initial reclamation construction at the site <br /> began in the summer of 1995. <br /> During the period between early July, 1994 and late December of that year, DRMS <br /> evaluated all of the disturbed areas within the Coal Basin Mine permit area in order to set <br /> relative reclamation priorities for the mine site. Reclamation priorities were established <br /> based upon an evaluation of reclamation requirements, Notices of Violation issued during <br /> the period of time when the operation was permitted, U.S. Forest Service planned land <br /> uses at federally managed portions of the basin, and the perceived environmental impacts <br /> of specific facilities. <br /> Equal reclamation priority was given to the coal refuse facilities located near the <br /> confluence of Coal and Dutch Creeks, and the mine face-up areas. The road system was <br /> a slightly lower priority with the rock tunnel (Lamphouse) area, coal stockpiles, <br /> warehouse facilities, mine office/coal cleaning areas receiving the lowest priority. <br /> Reclamation work was sequenced based on a number of factors. The reclamation priority <br /> of the various facilities was used as the first cut in determining which areas would be <br /> reclaimed at specific points in time. The availability of funding was the second tier when <br /> determining which areas would be reclaimed in any given year. <br /> 2 <br />