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Introduction
<br />This document is the Permit Renewal No. 3 (RN -03) proposed decision package prepared by the
<br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) for the Bowie No. 2 Mine. Through
<br />Permit Renewal No. 3, Bowie Resources LLC (BRL) is proposing to renew its valid, existing permit for
<br />another five year term. This document includes: 1) the proposed decision to Approve the permit renewal
<br />application; 2) a summary which includes a history of the review of the permit revision application, a
<br />description of the environment affected by the operation and a description of the mining and reclamation
<br />plan; and 3) the written findings of compliance the Division has made as required by the Colorado
<br />Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act. Detailed information concerning the findings of compliance can
<br />be found in the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining.
<br />The Division has received an application for a permit renewal to continue surface coal mining operations
<br />at the Bowie No. 2 Mine for another five year term. The application was submitted by BRL. The mine is
<br />operated by BRL.
<br />The mine permit area is located on Federal and Private lands within Delta County, Colorado. The coal to
<br />be mined is privately and federally owned, as are the surface lands to be disturbed by mining. Originally,
<br />in accordance with direction provided by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the Division and the OSM
<br />considered the Bowie No. 2 Mine to be a private mine, for the purposes of permit and inspection
<br />regulation. However, with approval of Technical Revision No. 16, the Bowie No. 2 Mine became a
<br />federal mine. Through that revision, BRL was granted permission to conduct mining in a limited area of
<br />the Iron Point Tract Federal Lease.
<br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine is located about five (5) miles northeast of Paonia, Colorado, adjacent to State
<br />Highway 133 and near the old Bowie townsite. The current permit area includes 8301 surface acres, of
<br />which 4637 surface acres are privately owned and 3664 surface acres are federally owned. The legal
<br />description of the lands included within the present permit area is described in the sections listed below:
<br />Township 13 South, Range 91 West, 6th PM
<br />Section 2: SW /4NW /4, SW /4
<br />Section 3: ALL
<br />Section 4: ALL
<br />Section 5: S /2SE /4, SE /4SW /4, S /2NE /4NE /4SE /4, SE /4NW /4NE /4SE /4,
<br />E /2SW /4NE /4SE /4, SE /4NE /4SE /4
<br />Section 6: Lots 5, 6, 7, SW /4NE /4, SE /4NW /4, E /2SW /4, SE /4
<br />Section 7: ALL
<br />Section 8: NE /4, W /2, W /2SE /4
<br />Section 9: NE /4, NW /4, SE /4, NE /4SW /4, SE /4SW /4, NE /4SW /4SW /4
<br />Section 10: ALL
<br />Section 11: SW /4, NW /4
<br />Section 14: NW /4 except that portion south of the Union Pacific Railroad right of way
<br />Section 15: NE /4, NW /4, NW /4SE /4 *, Portions of the N /2SE /4, SW /4SE /4, S /2SW /4, excluding all
<br />privately held lands not owned or controlled by Bowie Resources Limited or the Union
<br />Pacific Railroad.
<br />Section 16: N /2NE /4
<br />Section 17: NW /4, W /2NE /4
<br />Section 18: Lots 1, 2, NE /4, E2NW /4
<br />Section 22: Portion of NW /4NW /4, on lands owned by the Union Pacific Railroad
<br />* North of Deer Trail Ditch
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