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West Elk Mine <br />Monitoring, Sampling, Drilling and Other Temporary Facilities or Operations <br />As needed on occasion, MCC will construct monitoring, sampling, drilling and/or other temporary <br />facilities or operations, along with access to them, in order to supplement design or compliance data, as <br />well as ventilation or other needs for the mine operations. As with all of MCC's permanent facilities and <br />operations, these facilities will be constructed, operated and reclaimed in compliance with the Regulations <br />of the CMLRB for Coal Mining, particularly Rule 2.05. All necessary clearances, such as cultural <br />resource reviews by the State Historic Preservation Office, will also be provided. <br />Accesses to such facilities will typically be field -designed and constructed as described in the light -use <br />road discussions above. No drainage alteration or relocation would typically be required for such <br />construction. Temporary culverts would be used to provide access crossings, or low -flow fording or dry <br />drainage crossings could be constructed in drainage areas of less than one square mile. These facilities <br />will also be constructed more than 100' of a public road right-of-way (except where mine roads join these <br />rights -of way.) <br />As stated in the "General Construction Procedures" discussions above, the "Hydrologic Protection During <br />Construction" discussions below, and the "Reclamation Plan" discussions in section 2.05.4 of this permit <br />document, the reclamation of all areas will be such that the areas will be stabilized, the hydrologic <br />balance not impacted, topsoil salvaged, stored and replaced, and disturbed areas revegetated. The soils <br />that are salvaged will be stockpiled in windrowed berms along the accesses and/or pads or stockpiled <br />nearby. To reclaim these sites, the soils will be returned and compacted in most areas to the approximate <br />original contours. Topsoil salvaged from the sites will be redistributed as evenly as possible over the <br />recontoured areas and accesses. The soil surface will be scarified, if need be, and seeded with MCC's <br />approved seed mixture per Table 37. <br />For soil and geotechnical borehole sampling, soil auger diameters are typically 10" and bedrock test holes <br />are typically 4" in diameter. These boreholes will vary in depth, but are typically less than 50' deep. <br />Ventilation boreholes, gas or water monitoring wells will also vary in diameter and depth. Specific <br />information on the configurations of these facilities will be provided in subsequent revision applications <br />that will be included in Exhibit 80 after approved. As further described in section 2.05.4(6) of this permit <br />document, drill holes and other borings will be sealed, backfilled and reclaimed in accordance with Rule <br />2.05.4(2)(g). Soil and geotechnical boreholes are backfilled by returning rock cuttings and soil materials <br />into the boreholes. Borehole and drill hole sealing is also aided by natural healing through soil bridging. <br />As stated in section 2.05.5 "Post Mining Land Uses", wildlife and livestock grazing will predominately <br />be the post -mining land -use. As also discussed in that section, should these sites later be utilized as a coal <br />refuse pile, the reclaimed area will also serve the same post -mining land use. <br />Because most of these sites and accesses are located in remote areas and/or not on previously disturbed <br />ground, alternative sediment control measures will be utilized, including best management practices such <br />as straw bales, silt fence and/or excelsior waddles. If a sediment pond is in the vicinity of the site, <br />drainage could be routed to the pond. <br />(4) Ponds, Impoundments, and Diversions <br />During the course of construction and operation of the mine facilities at West Elk Mine, every effort is <br />made to minimize water pollution. It is MCC's intent to discharge water from sediment ponds, Small Area <br />2.05-30 Rev. 06/05, 01106, 03106, 04106 & 05/06- PRIG; 01/09- MR350; 04/09- TR116;; 05/09- MR354; 08/09- TR119 <br />Tie • rt,, 614,111) <br />