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<br />Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance July 2018 <br />Permit Renewal No. 7 P a g e | 20 <br />In the multi-seam West Pit, Colowyo has utilized the same methods of operation as those of the <br />East Pit and the same seams were mined. The West Pit is approximately the same size as the East <br />Pit and mining in the West Pit advanced from north to south. Currently, only reclamation of the <br />final cut in the West Pit remains. <br /> <br />The Section 16 Pit is located south of the East and West Pits. Mining in the majority of the Section <br />16 Pit was completed between 1993 and 2002. A 44-acre extension of the Section 16 Pit (referred <br />to as the X-Pod area) was permitted through TR-65 (approved on June 29, 2007). The X-Pod area <br />was mined from 2007-2010. The northern boundary of the Section 16 Pit merged with the East <br />Pit and the West Pit. Mining of the Section 16 Pit was of the "X" coal seam only. Mining was <br />from east to west, but was reoriented from north to south for the final strip in the area. To the <br />south, in the X-Pod area, the Section 16 Pit merged with the South Taylor Pit. <br /> <br />With the approval of PR-02, Colowyo permitted the South Taylor Pit. The South Taylor Pit is a <br />multi-seam operation that is approved to mine up to 17 coal seams and seam-complexes. The <br />seams that are mined in the South Taylor Pit are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The seams range in <br />thickness from 2.5 feet to 17 feet and the overburden and interburden range in thickness from 2 <br />feet to 65 feet. The East Taylor Fill is permitted for 19.8 million cubic yards of permanent excess <br />spoil from this pit. Additionally, Colowyo has permitted the West Taylor Fill for an additional <br />27.6 million cubic yards of permanent excess spoil. The Division has approved a variance from <br />contemporaneous reclamation for the South Taylor Pit due to the mining conditions. In the past, <br />the overburden and interburden from the upper seams of the South Taylor Pit have been hauled to <br />two temporary overburden stockpiles (TS West and TS East), which contain approximately 44 <br />million cubic yards of material. Currently, interburden is being hauled to previously mined <br />locations of the South Taylor Pit. Final backfilling and grading will consist of grading the final <br />spoils on the northwest edge of the pit, ripping and reducing the highwall and hauling back all of <br />the temporary spoil from TS West and TS East into the pit. Map 29A of the PAP details the spoil <br />grading plan. <br /> <br />The Collom Pit was permitted with the approval of PR-04 and is a multi-seam operation that will <br />mine the Y, X, A, B, C, E, F, and G seams. A temporary spoil pile will be constructed north of <br />the Collom Pit as overburden material is stripped. The spoil pile is currently approved for 13.5 <br />million cubic yards and will eventually extend upward about 600 feet in thickness to an elevation <br />of approximately 7,000 feet. The final surface of the Collom Pit area is shown on Map 19C of the <br />PAP and will approximate the overall pre-mining grades. <br /> <br />Roads <br /> <br />Four types of roads are utilized at the Mine: haul roads, an prior access road that has been re- <br />designated as a haul road, an access road, and light-use roads. <br /> <br />The main haul road (Haul Road A), which runs from the Gossard Loadout to the current facility <br />area, has been paved with asphalt. Haul Road B is an asphalt road from State Highway 13 to Haul <br />Road A. The Collom Haul Road is in the process of construction and runs from the Gossard