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December 21, 2012 <br />Marcia Talvitie <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety <br />1313 Sherman St, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />RE: New Horizon Mine: Permit Revision 07 of C- 1981 -008 <br />Marcia, <br />Greg Lewicki And Associates, PLLC <br />115-11 Warrington Court I'(iouc: (303) 346 -5196 Fax (303 )-346 -6934 <br />Parker, CO USA 30138 E -Mail: info'mlcwick.bic <br />REG "., .,ti„ED <br />DEC 242012 <br />Division of Reclamation <br />Mining & Safety <br />The New Horizon Mine (C -81 -008) reclamation permit with the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS or "the Division ") is being revised by the applicant, <br />Western Fuels- Colorado (WFC), as the final step in responding to DRMS and Office of Surface <br />Mining (OSM) requirements put forth in late 2011. These requirements were based on the OSM <br />evaluation of the permit as it stood following Permit Revision 06 (PR -06). Permit Revision 07 <br />(PR -07) incorporates a re- evaluation of the prime farmland within the permit boundary, an <br />evaluation of the suitability of stockpiled soils for use in reclaiming both prime and non -prime <br />farmland, the replacement of a technical standard with a reference area for Irrigated Cropland <br />revegetation success, and the revision of permit sections to incorporate changes spawned by <br />these new elements. <br />The pre -mine soil mapping and qualifications on the Morgan Property (southwest of the BB <br />Road/2700 Road intersection within the permit) have been re- evaluated by prime farmland soil <br />experts using existing soil surveys on site along with new data gathered in a Sampling and <br />Analysis Plan in late 2011. New soil mapping has been applied to the Morgan Property based on <br />this re- evaluation, and is reflected in the updated maps and sections of the permit. Since the new <br />soil mapping supersedes the 1998 soil survey that previously applied to the property, the 1998 <br />data was moved from within Section 2.04.9 to Attachment 2.04.9 -11. The 1998 soil survey data <br />is still relevant, since it guided the stripping of soil on large portions of the permit. <br />All prime farmland specific information can be found in Section 2.06.6. In the case where the <br />reclamation plans for prime farmland are the same as non - prime, the reclamation plans are found <br />in the appropriate permit section. For example: the revegetation plan for Irrigated Cropland is the <br />same for both non -prime and prime farmland areas, and therefore is contained in Section <br />2.05.4(2)(e). Since prime farmland has different reclamation success criteria, that specific <br />revegetation information is found in Section 2.06.6. Discussions of the extents of prime farmland <br />within the Morgan Property, as well as the suitability of stockpiled soil for redistribution are also <br />covered in Section 2.06.6. <br />