Laserfiche WebLink
West Elk Mine <br />After the ventilation and gate -road entries are completed, a longwall set-up or starting room is <br />driven at the inby end of the panel. Longwall equipment is moved in and assembled. Once <br />equipment is ready, the longwall system mines the panel in a retreat fashion until it reaches the <br />main entry barrier pillar. The equipment is then disassembled and moved to another panel. <br />Mining Under Restricted Areas <br />No major buildings, major structures, occupied dwellings, cemeteries, parks, railroads, or <br />highways overlay the coal planned for extraction at West Elk Mine. Although two reservoirs are <br />within the coal lease area controlled by MCC, the reserves in the E and B Seams under these <br />reservoirs have been legally severed from the lease. As such, no mining is planned beneath any <br />portion of these reservoirs. Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek runs through the coal lease area and <br />conducts water from Deep Creek Ditch to Minnesota Reservoir. As discussed in Section 2.05.6, <br />longwall mining, rather than leaving pillars or coal barriers, would be less impacting to the <br />stream, and any downstream water uses are effectively protected by MCCs approved <br />adjudication plans. <br />Health and Safety <br />General Mine Safety <br />MCC has established that it is the responsibility of all employees to make the environment and <br />health and safety their first consideration, and that no phase of operation or administration has <br />greater importance. Achieving safe and environmentally sound performance of tasks in <br />relationship to man, machines, and the environment is a core value, as opposed to a priority. To <br />this end, MCC has developed an environmental, health and safety policy for West Elk Mine. <br />This policy is available for review at the mine. <br />Explosives and Blasting <br />The mining techniques used at West Elk Mine do not require blasting as part of the regular <br />extraction cycle. Occasionally, explosives are used for underground construction purposes, the <br />removal of large rock or rock spars in the mining area, and when cutting rock is prohibitive with <br />mining equipment. These uses require relatively small quantities of explosives. MCCs formal <br />Explosives Handling and Blasting Procedures are presented in Exhibit 41. Map 53 shows the <br />location of the powder magazine. <br />Limited application of explosives may be necessary for surface construction activities, such as <br />road cuts and other surface construction. State and Federal mine safety and health regulations <br />and other appropriate regulations will be followed in all circumstances where explosives are <br />used, whether by contractors on the site or by MCC personnel, including Rule 4.08 of the <br />CMLRB's Regulations for Coal Mining. Blasts that use more than 5 lbs. of explosives or <br />blasting agent will be conducted according to a pre -blasting schedule (4.08.3). As appropriate, a <br />pre -blasting survey (4.08.2) will be performed. Refer also to Exhibit 43, "Specifications for <br />Rock Blasting During Road Construction". <br />Fire Prevention <br />2.05-9 Rev 11/04 - PRI 1, 03/06 - PRI 0 <br />