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50 <br />the New Elk Mine and recovering clear water from gravity dewatering for <br />returned use in the Prep Plant <br />Refuse fines will be recovered from the bottom of the thickener and pumped in a <br />eight inch inside diameter poly pipe to one of the refuse return wells, This line <br />will be laid on the surface except in areas where it will be buried to avoid roads <br />and other facilities. Exposed portions of the pipe will be heat taped to prevent <br />freezing. If maintenance work is required on the pipeline, berms will be <br />constructed to contain any spills or leakage. <br />The refuse slurry will consist of about 34 percent solids by weight and water will <br />be used as the transport medium. The slurry will flow down through the return <br />wells into the abandoned workings and disperse. Return water will be recovered <br />by a pump located north of the preparation plant and piped to the plant for reuse. <br />Slurry will be pumped at a maximum rate of 700 gallons per minute with return <br />water being pumped at the comparable liquid percentage to allow for makeup <br />water in the plant. The existing belt press system will be retained in the <br />preparation plant for additional backup in the event that the system is out of <br />service. <br />Areas to be backfilled will be sequenced from east to west (down dip to up dip). <br />The refuse return wells are located over an Allen Seam panel that has been <br />pillared. Solid barrier pillars will isolate new workings in the Allen Seam from <br />the flooded fine refuse disposal areas. The operation is not anticipated to change <br />the existing condition of the mine and will not have an effect on the surface area <br />supported by the mine or surface effects following backfilling. <br />The source of hydraulic transport medium for the slurry will be the makeup water <br />pumped to the prep plant which will be obtained from the existing mine pool in <br />the underground workings. Probing the clean water - recycling hole (NEW -4) has <br />indicated that approximately 50 feet of water is available in that area of the mine <br />pool for return to the prep plant. Initial makeup water will be the water already in <br />the Prep Plant obtained from the Purgatoire River from the Applicant's existing <br />water rights. The method to be used to dewater the refuse fines is to pump the <br />water back to the Prep Plant from NEW -4. <br />Hydrologic impacts and monitoring are described under Section 2.05.6. <br />2.05.4 Reclamation Plan <br />Timetable <br />Operations at the New Elk Mine facility are ongoing since the New Elk Mine has <br />been reopened. The exact timetable for reclamation activities is dependent on <br />coal production and marketing, which is impossible to predict. <br />Section 2.05 TR -68 12/10/2014 <br />