Laserfiche WebLink
RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS <br />4.23 AUGER AND HIGHWALL MINING <br />4.23.1 Scope <br />This Section establishes environmental protection performance standards in addition to those applicable <br />performance standards in Rule 4, to prevent any unnecessary loss of coal reserves and to prevent adverse <br />environmental effects from auger mining incident to surface mining activities. <br />4.23.2 Maximize Recoverability of Mineral Reserves <br />Colowyo has identified areas suitable for highwall mining at South Taylor (Map 23A). Highwall mining <br />should allow for the recovery of additional coal resources beyond the permitted pit final highwalls and end - <br />walls. These coal reserves are economically recoverable using highwall mining methods. <br />From a strip mining perspective, the South Taylor pit clearly delineates the maximum recoverable coal <br />resources attainable today with modern surface technology and coal market demand and pricing. The <br />proposed highwall mining of the G -seams on the west side of the pit represents recovery of reserves that <br />would not have been recovered by any other means utilizing either surface or underground mining techniques. <br />Section 4.23 of the previously approved permit document contains additional discussion regarding the <br />removal of coal using highwall mining methods. The document includes a summary of the geologic factors <br />that limit removal of the coal using conventional methods, the requirements for leaving undisturbed areas of <br />coal in un -mined sections, procedures for working around underground mines, surface and groundwater <br />pollution prevention procedures, reduction in fire hazards, backfilling, grading, and PMT requirements for all <br />areas previously permitted. <br />4.23.2(1) Undisturbed Areas of Coal Shall Be Left in Unmined Sections <br />As for the CDRMS Rules (Rules) requirement for leaving undisturbed areas of coal in unmined sections, <br />Colowyo contends that this application of the Rules does not apply since the seams to be highwall mined are <br />being accessed from active surface pits that by this Permit and other applicable sections of the Rules are <br />required to be backfilled and fully reclaimed. Hence should undisturbed barrier areas of coal be left for some <br />future access, these potential portal areas would be inaccessible for future generations because they would be <br />buried under the pit backfill. Additionally and importantly, as discussed above, due to the many geological <br />reasons, there is not economical coal to be recovered from "behind" the areas slated to be highwall mined. <br />4.23.2(2) Abandoned or Active Underground Mine Workings <br />To Colowyo's knowledge, no abandoned or active underground mine workings have ever existed or currently <br />exist in any of the coal seams in the areas proposed to be highwall mined. No highwall mining will be <br />allowed to take place within 500 feet of any abandoned or active underground mining operation. <br />4.23.2(3) Surface Mining Activities and Highwall Mining <br />The highwall mining shall follow the surface coal mining activities in a contemporaneous manner consistent <br />with the applicable requirements of CDRMS Rule 4. Due to active pit progressions and sequencing of mining <br />(in addition to meeting the Permit requirements for contemporaneous reclamation), it is required that highwall <br />mining occurs timely if not immediately following conclusion of pit mining activities. Also, as described <br />more fully in 2.06.9(2), the need to backfill, ie, contemporaneously reclaim the pits, is mandatory for <br />Colowyo in order to build the pit floor from which to work from to mine the successively higher (in the <br />South Taylor /Lower Wilson — Rule 4, Page 20 Revision Date: 10/31/13 <br />Revision No.: MR -129 <br />