|
Description of the Mine Operation and Reclamation Plan
<br />Sizes of Permit Area, Disturbed Area, and Production Volumes
<br />The permit area covers approximately 22,607 acres. Cumulative actual surface disturbance, as
<br />reported in the permittee's 2018 Annual Reclamation Report, is 742.9 acres. TC has received
<br />approval of only one bond release application to date. SL -01, approved in 2013, released 14.3
<br />acres of Phase I liability. The portion of the mine to be permitted under the current application at
<br />full production is projected to produce approximately 6,000,000 to 11,000,000 tons of run -of -
<br />mine coal per year dependent on mining conditions.
<br />Minim Method
<br />The Foidel Creek Mine was originally permitted as an underground operation employing room
<br />and pillar mining on privately owned coal within a 924 acre permit area. TCC referred to the
<br />original permit as a pilot project designed to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of
<br />underground mining operations on the Wadge coal seam, which was previously surface mined in
<br />the portal area and on dip slopes to the south and southwest by TCC's sister company, Colorado
<br />Yampa Coal Company (CYCC). Existing surface disturbance along Foidel Creek at the main
<br />mine facility area consists of portals, surface support facilities, an office, low -quality coal
<br />stockpiles, a processing waste pile, conveyors, a tipple and batch weigh loadout facility, a ROM
<br />coal stockpile, two rock dust tanks, an explosives magazine, a rail spur, and sediment control
<br />ditches and ponds. A large portion of the current main facility area was once within a disturbed
<br />area called the Area 2 pit within the CYCC permit No. C-1981-071. Since the completion of
<br />mining associated with the No. C-1981-071 permit, all pertinent facilities have been transferred
<br />to the Foidel Creek mine permit.
<br />The Life of Mine (LOM) permit revision (PR -01) application was approved in 1986 to expand
<br />the project into a 35 -year mining operation utilizing both room and pillar and longwall
<br />techniques, with a peak production of approximately 3.5 million tons per year. Upon approval of
<br />PR -01, the permit boundary encompassed 13,114 acres and included both federal and privately
<br />owned coal. New and expanded surface facilities were approved under PR -01. These facilities
<br />included an office/bathhouse complex, new conveyor facilities, a transfer building, and 150,000
<br />ton open coal stockpile and loadout facilities. Additionally, the Fish Creek Borehole dewatering
<br />site and associated treatment ponds were installed on Fish Creek, in TSN, R87W, Section 25.
<br />This borehole discharges treated water to Fish Creek at outfall 001 of CDPS Permit CO -
<br />0042161.
<br />Permit Revision No. 2 (PR -02), Southwest Mining District, was approved with stipulations on
<br />February 17, 1993. PR -02 approved mining and subsidence in Panels 7, 8, and 9 of the SW
<br />mining district. Mining was completed in this area in 1996.
<br />Permit Revision No. 3 (PR -03), approved May 9, 1996, allowed mining in the Eastern Mining
<br />District of Gate Roads 11 Right through 5 Right, construction of the Southwest Development
<br />Mains, and extraction of Longwall panels 9 Right through 7 Right. Approval of PR -03 expanded
<br />the LOM permit area to 22,694 acres. Extraction of 10,000,000 Tons/year was approved under
<br />Technical Revision No. 28, in 1997.
<br />Foidel Creek Mine 13 August 10, 2018
<br />
|