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No. 9 Portal Waste (Coal Refuse) Disposal Area <br />The existing No. 9 Portal excavation was selected as the location for a waste (coal refuse) disposal site, given that it is <br />readily accessible, is already permitted for disposal of 45,000 cy of coarse refuse, would facilitate disposal of refuse <br />materials below the original ground surface, and could eliminate the need to expand the approved refuse disposal site <br />if additional capacity is required. The location of the No. 9 Portal Waste Disposal Site is shown on the Structures and <br />Renewable Resources Map (Map 25). <br />The original RAG Empire Permit (1983), proposed to backfill the No. 9 portal excavation with previously excavated <br />material. In 1984, during construction of the 100,000 ton raw coal storage pile, 45,000 cy of the excavated material <br />was utilized in the construction of the coal storage pile pad. At that time, the plans were modified to reflect <br />replacement of the 45,000 cy of excavated material with coarse reject material. The coarse reject material was to be <br />placed in the No. 9 portal excavation as backfill and covered with suitable cover material. <br />The No. 9 Portal excavation was prepared for the subsequent refuse disposal activities by removing all associated <br />mining equipment including conveyors and structures, ventilation fans, electrical substations, and associated mining <br />scrap; backfilling the sealed and portal entries with a minimum of 15 feet of material in accordance with the approved <br />MSHA sealing plan; and then covering the exposed coal seam ( "P" coal seam) with a minimum of four feet of inert <br />material. Please refer to the No. 9 Portal Waste Disposal Site (Map 28). The Shop /Office building, scrap -yard, and <br />associated pad remained in place until 2010, when all facilities associated with the No. 9 Mine were removed and the <br />associated disturbance areas were regraded, soil materials were replaced, and these areas were reseeded. <br />Once backfilling and covering of the coal seams was complete, the excavation was available for coal refuse disposal, <br />with the refuse material consisting mainly of coarse reject material from the rotary breaker. Since the No. 9 Portal <br />Waste Disposal Area is below ground level, all the restrictions on the approved refuse disposal site would not apply, <br />however, all disposal activities conformed to the approved MSHA plan, as submitted to the CMLRD. The refuse <br />material was placed in the excavation in approximately two -foot lifts, with operation of front -end loaders, end -dump <br />trucks, and tracked dozers in the refuse disposal area effectively compacting the material. Design details and cross - <br />sections for the No. 9 Portal Waste Disposal Site are illustrated on the No. 9 Portal - Waste Disposal Site Map (Map <br />28). <br />Once the refuse material reached a height of approximately four feet below the planned reclaimed surface, the material <br />was covered with a minimum of four feet of suitable cover material. The cover material was stockpiled suitable <br />material originally excavated from the No. 9 Portal Area. Since most the No. 9 Portal excavation was backfilled with <br />coarse refuse material, excess material remained in the stockpile from the original excavation, and this excess material <br />was used to cover the No. 9 Portal Pad Area with a minimum of four feet of suitable material. The backfilled area was <br />graded to blend with the surrounding terrain and promote positive drainage off the disposal area surface and was <br />reseeded with the cropland seed mixture. <br />Final reclamation plans for the No. 9 Portal Area are presented in Section 2.05.4, Reclamation Plan. The No. 9 Portal <br />Area was reclaimed to a postmining land use of cropland, consistent with the originally proposed and approved use. <br />The Reclamation Plan Map (Map 29) shows the final postmining topography for the No. 9 Portal Area. <br />No. 9 Portal Solid Waste Disposal Area <br />Any non - hazardous debris resulting from demolition of mine buildings and facilities, and/or other materials, as <br />defined in Rule 4.11.4, Disposal of Non -Coal Waste, may be disposed of in a permitted Solid Waste Disposal <br />Facility. The proposed solid waste disposal area covers approximately 4.5 acres in Section 32, adjacent to the <br />existing No. 9 Portal Waste Disposal Area and No. 9 Portal Area, as shown on Map 25, Structures and Renewable <br />Resources. <br />The facility will be constructed and reclaimed in accordance with applicable provisions of Rule 4.11.4, Disposal of <br />Non -Coal Waste. The disposal area will be excavated, as- needed, to provide for effective waste containment and to <br />assure that sufficient material is available to cover the non -coal waste material <br />TR14 -36 2.05 -19 Revised 03/04/14 <br />