MEEKER I The Bureau of Land Management Northwest District signed a Finding of No Significant Impact and a Decision Record on Friday, approving a coal lease modification to allow Colowyo Coal to store rock and soil overburden at a coal mine north of Meeker.
Colowyo Coal operates a mine in the Little Snake Field Office that spans Moffat and Rio Blanco counties about 22 miles north of Meeker. The mine began production in 1977 and currently produces 2.3 million tons of coal per year.
The mine employs 238 people and provides coal to the Craig Generation Station.
This finding completes a BLM Environmental Assessment for a coal lease modification to store non-marketable rock and soil overburden on 27 surface acres of public land.
The overburden will later be used by Colowyo Coal for reclamation.
