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The Thunder Basin Coal Company, LLC of Wright, Wyoming has applied for a coal mining permit renewal from the Land Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality for the State of Wyoming. The Izita coal mining permit area is located in: (T46N R71W Sections 24, 25, 36; T45N R71W Sections 1, 12, 13 ,24, 25, 35, 36; T44N R71W Sections 2, 11, 14, 23,26, 35 T43N R71W Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13; T43N R70W Section 7) Campbell County, Wyoming. The Izita Permit Area is a corridor approximately six (6) miles east of Wright, Wyoming at its southernmost extent and 25 miles south of Gillette, Wyoming at its northern terminus, connecting the Coal Creek and Black Thunder Coal mines, running roughly parallel, and to the east of Highway 59 and the Hilight and Hoadley County Roads. This area can be found on the Neil Butte, Highlight, and Reno Reservoir USGS quadrangle map(s). The original permit to mine was granted in approximately 2010 and is estimated to continue until 2045. The land, after mining, will be returned to livestock grazing with incidental wildlife use.
Information regarding this application may be reviewed in the Office of the Land Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality in Cheyenne and (Sheridan, Wyoming) or the Campbell County Clerk's Office at 500 S. Gillette Ave Suite 1600, Gillette, Wyoming. Written objections to the proposed mining operation must be received by the Administrator of the Land Quality Division, Department of Environmental Quality, 200 W. 17th Street, Suite 10, Cheyenne, WY 82002, before the close of business May, 23 2024. Objections may also be submitted by the same deadline via the Land Quality Division's electronic comment portal at https://lq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/. The Director shall hold an informal conference if requested, hear the complaint and take action on the application in accordance with Wyoming Statute (W.S.) 35-11-406(p) and the Department's Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Director shall render a decision on the application within thirty (30) days after the deadline to file objections if no informal conference is requested. An informal conference shall be held within thirty (30) days after the final date for filing objections unless a different period is stipulated to by the parties. The Director shall publish notice of the time, date and location of the conference in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality of the proposed operation once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks immediately prior to the conference. If the director holds an informal conference, all parties to the conference shall be furnished with a copy of the final written decision of the Director issuing or denying the permit within sixty (60) days of the conference. The applicant or objector may appeal the director's written decision after an informal conference to the Council. If a hearing is held the hearing would be conducted as a contested case in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act (W.S. §16-3-101 through §16-3-115) with a right of judicial review afforded as provided in that act and W.S 35-l l-406(p)(iv). The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission will be mailed a copy of the application mine plan map as given in W.S. §35-l l-406(i).
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