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III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII • • <br />999 <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Ilcpdrlmm~l ut Natural Resource: <br />I ; I { SL~rrma, ~ SL. Rnum 215 <br />Drover. fulorulu HO'_OS <br />April 23, 1999 <br />Michael G. Altavilla <br />Seneca Coal Company <br />36600 Routt County Road 27 <br />P.O. Box 670 <br />Hayden, CO 81639 <br />~~~ ~~ <br />Dlt'151 O.N OF <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />R E C l A H A T I O N <br />MINING•SPFETY <br />BJI O..cns <br />Gnv~mnr <br />Grup E tValt her <br />E.ecmne DucUOr <br />nrochael B Long <br />D~.,,,~~~: D,nerr <br />Re: Yoast Mine (Permit No. C-94-082) <br />Permit Revision No. 1 -Updated Life-of-Kline Plans for Mining and Reclamation <br />Preliminary Adequacy Review <br />Dear Mr. Altavilla: <br />The Division of Minerals and Geology (Division) has reviewed the permit revision application <br />materials submitted for Seneca Coal Company's (BCC's) proposed update to the life-of-mine <br />plans for the mining, reclamation and related operations for the Yoast Mine past the existing <br />five-year permit term. This letter presents the Division's adequacy questions, which are <br />organized by the pertinent sections of the Rules and Regulations of The Colorado Mined Land <br />Reclamation Board. <br />The Division has the following adequacy comments. <br />2.05.4(2)(e) Reveeetation Plan <br />According to Revised Table 22-9 (Summary of Disturbed Acreages for Premine Vegetation <br />Types) and a review of the baseline vegetation study, the Premine vegetation types in the <br />disturbed areas at Yoast are dominated by Mixed Brush (42%), Aspen (22%) and Sagebrush <br />(20%). SCC submitted a Revised Table 22-10, Estimated Acreages Postmining Vegetation <br />Types, and a Revised Exhibit 22-1,Post-Mining Vegetation Map. These show that sagebrush <br />will be the dominant post mining vegetation community covering 55% of the disturbed area <br />and Mixed Brush is estimated to cover 33°''0 of the disturbed area. This is a significant <br />change from what is currently estimated on Table 2?-] 0 which shows mixed brush will be the <br />dominant postmining vegetation type. <br />The revised estimated postmining vegetation types are presumably based on [he seed mixes <br />and planting arrangements as shown on revised Exhibit 22-1. Seed Mix lB is proposed for <br />[he majority of the disturbed area. This seed mix is designed for a grassland sagebrush <br />community and is very similar to Seed Mix lA. The two mixes differ only with respect to <br />