_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (283)

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-12- The one site that might meet the eligibility requirements of the National Register of Historic Places is the old Coal Basin townsite. Accordingly, Mid-Continent engaged the consulting firm of Powers Elevation to conduct an initial survey and recording of the Coal Basin townsite. That firm concluded that the Coal Basin townsite may meet the eligibility requirements of the National Register of Historic Places. A portion of the Coal Basin townsite was destroyed when the Coal Basin mine was reopened in 1974. However, there are no plans to disturb the remaining portions of the Coal Basin townsite and the townsite will not be undermined. Therefore, the proposed operation should not have an adverse effect on the townsite. 1"e Cultural Resources surveys have been performed for areas of surface (;p5 disturbance during the past few years. Those conducted in areas of the �( XX rock tunnel construction and exploration light use roads have located no evidence of archaeological sites. (See Appendices III-B-3, 4, and 5) Very little additional surface disturbance will be necessary in the Coal W Basin mine plan area over the planned life of the mine. Cultural yP� resource surveys will be performed before any Further surface disturbance is approved. Pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(2) (e) , the Division finds that the proposed mining operation will not adversely affect any publicly owned park or place listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. IV. Geology - Rules 2.04.5 and 2.04.6 The Coal 3asin mines are located on the southeast edge of the Piceance Basin within the Coal 'Basin. The Coal Basin is an eroded anticline superimposed on the Grand Hogback i'lonocline. The strata of Coal Basin consist principally of the Cretaceous Mancos shale and Mesaverde Group, although rocks varying in age from Pennsylvanian to Tertiary are present. The ivlancos shale, which consists of silty shale to shaley siltstone, makes up the vast majority of the floor )f Coal Gasin. Below the Mancos shale, bedrock units are the Cretaceous Dakota, Jurassic Morrison and jurassic tntrada sandstones, Permian Weber sandstone, and Permo-Pennsylvania -Maroon formations. These bedrock units outcrop on the Grand Hogback, then dip steeply beneath the overlying Coal 3asin strata. They occur far beneath, and are unaffected by, mining activity. The overlying i•lesaverde Group consists mainly of shale beds interspersed with sanastone units. The Mesaverde Group is customarily descri!)ed in te-rms �)f a lower formation, called the Iles, and an upper formation, called the Ail ', iaqs Fork. The 11.2, r'ornation overlies tiia 'l�. u:c)i ,hale and, as noted, the ai i: FpF les.