_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 ‎(280)‎

• Permit No: C1981017
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Name: Bid Documents ‎(IMP)‎
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

If you study the history of Coal Basin you find that
construction of a wagon haul road to our present #5
mine started in the 1890 ' s and a railroad was con-
structed in 1900 . The present operations started in
1956 and with proven reserves will go to 2020. Many
portions of the road cuts and fills will have from 60
to 130 years of revegetation either by Mother Nature or
man (intensified reclamation program since 1977) .
We believe that almost all areas, roads , pads, etc.
will be either completely or partially revegetated by
the closing of the mine to the extent that any attempt
to return to AOC would cause great environmental harm
after such long years of becoming stabilized and
revegetated.
It is not known if all road cuts will stabilize from
now to the final reclamation but as changes will occur
after the tunnel completion and time will demonstrate
if any problem areas exist. It is felt that at the end
of mining any or all areas will then be stabilized.
If the MLRB staff feels that any problem areas exist at
this time we would invite the appropriate personnel to
inspect the road system. We would like to point out
that we believe this to be somewhat premature as a more
appropriate time we feel would be at the end of the
tunnel construction when a "Hands on" reclamation of
the road system would begin.
As per our discussion in the meeting of May 26th with
Jim Pendelton and Jim Herron an actual plan of the size
reduction of the Class I haul roads will wait until the
completion of the tunnel to Nos. 1 and 2 mines .
A request for a variance from AOC was submitted on
August 3 , 1981 based on the following beneficial effects :
If all 175 acres of road and 230 acres of pads or work
areas were returned to AOC an extreme environmental
impact would occur on the water shed of Coal Canyon.
The first mine opened in 1956 with 4 subsequent mines
opening in the following 18 years. All of these roads
and pad areas have been revegetating themselves and for
the last 10 years a planned revegetation program has
been in effect. The projected life of the mine is an
additional 30 to 40 years with a grand total of from 40
to 60 years of revegetation efforts on the disturbed
areas it is a simple conclusion to imagine the impact
of removing all of this revegetation and returning all
of the ground to AOC. The impact on the watershed
would be devastating.
Vol . 7 , Chap. V, (Add explanation on Page 22 .1 and
letter from Forest Service as Appendix V-C-1) .