2018-11-05_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981044

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Williams Fork Mines Prepared by: R. Reilley M.S. GISP C1981044 5 November 2018 10 6,363 acres. The area approved to be disturbed totals 422.0 acres. The surface disturbance includes three existing portal areas: the No. 5 Portals, the No. 5A Portals, and the No. 9 Portals. Access to the No. 6 Mine is from within the existing areas of the No. 5 Mine. This access is through the 5A Portals. No new surface disturbance was caused by driving ramps from the F seam (No. 5 Mine) down to the E seam (No. 6 Mine). Mining was last conducted in 1995, with approximately 745,074 tons produced in that year. Associated Facilities. These include: mine dewatering ponds, sediment control ponds, haul roads, conveyors, breakers, silo, loadout, rail spur, sampler, scale, and other mine buildings. Mining Method. Three of the Williams Fork Mines are underground mines, while the Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 2 and the Utah Tract were surface mines. The No. 5 Mine extracted coal from the F seam, and the No. 6 Mine extracted coal from the E seam. The permittee partially extracted coal from the P seam in the No. 9 Mine as approved in a permit revision application (see findings document of February, 1984). Room-and-pillar and longwall mining methods have been used in the mines to extract the coal resource. In the No. 5 mine, conventional underground techniques were used for developing mains, submains and longwall panel entries. Room-and- pillar extraction techniques were used initially. Subsequent mining utilized longwall mining methods. The No. 6 Mine also used conventional mining techniques for development mining and used longwall methods within production panels. The Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 2 was mined, and portions of the Williams Fork strip pit area reclaimed, prior to 1978 (Exhibit 28). Portions of the Williams Fork Strip Pit area were redisturbed after 1978 with the intention of constructing additional portals to the No. 9 Mine. Mining ceased in the No. 9 mine in 1985 and no portals were driven from the Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 2 to the No. 9 Mine. The Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 2 highwall was reclaimed after cessation of mining of the No. 9 Mine. The Division continues to hold reclamation bond for those portions of the Williams Fork Strip Pit No. 2 that were redisturbed after May 3, 1978. Transportation of Coal and Waste. When the mine was active, a conveyor carried coal from the No. 6 Mine to a silo where it was loaded onto a unit train. The conveyor was dismantled in 2017. Waste rock was conveyed from the portal 5 facilities area and hauled by truck to the coal processing waste pile in the No. 9 Mine portal area. The silo was reclaimed in 2018. Control of Mine Water and Surface Runoff. Mine water and surface runoff were handled in a series of ditches and ponds. Williams Fork Mines No. 5 Mine water and No. 6 Mine water was collected in a mine sump and pumped to the surface and pumped into a series of ponds along the Williams Fork River, then discharged into the Williams Fork River. Disturbed area drainage is controlled by ponds, except for those areas where small area exemptions were approved. Removal of Topsoil and Overburden. In advance of any mine disturbance, brush was cleared and topsoil removed and salvaged. Stockpiles were shaped and seeded to establish vegetation and for protection from wind and water erosion.