2016-01-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010089A (4)

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OPERATION PLAN: Estimated Area for Life of Mine Introduction This section describes the general plan for mining activities to be used at the New Horizon North Mine from 2012-2020. The mining methods, including overburden and coal removal, coal supply agreement, and mining equipment are described. The total disturbance area is approximately 279.3 acres over the life of the mine. Map 2.05.2-1 shows mine plan with estimated life for the NHN Mine. Operation Description / Production Methods and Equipment Mining at the New Horizon North (NHN) Mine currently utilizes surface mining methods. The primary coal seam to be recovered is the Lower Dakota seam; however, the Upper Dakota seam will be recovered if it is thick enough and of sufficient quality. Mining cuts will have a general east -west orientation and progress northward. NHN Mine development activities began in 2012. These activities included construction of surface facilities such as mine access, haul roads, warehouse, office, and water wells. The mine development encompassed the initial opening of the coal face at the northern boundary of the old NH 1 mine. During excavation of the initial boxcut, a buffer of unmined coal and overburden was left in place at the location of the old Peabody Highwall. The purpose of this "buckwall" is to maintain a buffer between the mine spoils from previous surface mining activities and the current active mining pit to provide a safe working environment in the active mining area. Once mining at the existing NH2 Mine was completed in mid -2013, heavy mining equipment was relocated to the NHN Mine. The NHN Mine excavation is performed by dozers, trucks, and one shovel. The mine sequence is to first remove the topsoil with dozers, shovels, and loaders loading trucks which take the material to a designated stockpile or, in later years, to the regraded area behind the pit for reclamation. Soft upper overburden may be removed by shovels and trucks and taken to a designated stockpile or the back of the pit for backfilling. If taken to the pit for backfilling, large dozers regrade the spoil overburden to the approved post mining topography. Lower overburden is usually cast blasted where approximately 25% of the overburden is cast into its final position in the backfill. The remaining shot overburden is loaded with a shovel and taken to a designated stockpile or placed behind the pit for backfilling. The exposed coal is loaded with a shovel into over -the -road haul trucks which take the coal to the nearby power plant in Nucla operated by Tri- State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State). The anticipated mining schedule for each area where mining will occur is graphically shown on Map 2.05.2-1. A cross section of the typical pit is shown on Map 2.05.3-1. Section 2.05.2 Page 1 Sept. 2015 (TR -11)