Laserfiche WebLink
Mountain Coal Company <br />January 19, 2018 <br />Mr. Leigh D. Simmons <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC <br />West Elk Mine <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />Kathleen G. Welt <br />Environmental Engineer III <br />kwelt(&archcoal.com <br />phone: 970.929.2238 <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company, LLC, West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-1980-007; <br />Technical Revision No. TR -144, In -Mine Exploration <br />Dear Mr. Simmons: <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC) submits the attached application form, proposed <br />public notice, revised Map 51, and copies of the face pages of modified leases COC -1362 <br />and COC -67232 in application of Technical Revision No. TR -144. This revision outlines an <br />area south of existing longwall panel LWE8 within the current permit boundary where MCC <br />intends to conduct in -mine exploration activities to better define the influence of a projected <br />fault zone within that area for future mine planning and permitting. The areal extent of the <br />proposed exploration by mining within this area and that is outside of the current approved <br />federal mine plan area (per PR -12) is about 30 acres of fee coal and about 20 acres of <br />federal coal within modified lease COC -1362. <br />This exploration is needed because MCC encountered a fault in the South Main E seam <br />entries that had previously been planned to access longwall panels projected in the recently <br />modified federal lease areas. Some in -mine horizontal drilling and mining into the fault area <br />has been conducted, although even in -mine exploration of the modified leases was <br />previously barred by a September 2014 court order. <br />The modified coal leases have once again been issued allowing exploration activities to be <br />conducted. Map 51 has been updated with the new modified lease boundaries for federal <br />coal leases COC -1362 and COC -67232. The face pages of the leases should be included <br />in Exhibit 4. No surface disturbing activities are proposed with this application. <br />Please don't hesitate to contact me at (970) 929-2238 or by e-mail should you have <br />questions regarding this submittal. <br />Sincerely, <br />,e <br />X nX Mal <br />Kathleen G. Welt, <br />Environmental Engineer III <br />cc: Desty Dyer — BLM <br />Weston Norris - MCC <br />Neal Starkebaum - Gunnison Co. <br />