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Introduction <br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine was constructed and opened by Bowie Resources, LLC <br />during the spring and summer of 1997 with coal production and development <br />beginning on August 15, 1997. The mine began longwall production during <br />November 1999 and currently produces coal at the rate of about 2.5 million tons <br />per year. <br />Over the course of mining operations for the last 14+ years, there have been <br />three coal mine waste disposal areas located north of Bowie Road. The first <br />pile, gob pile #1 which is discussed in detail in Permit Volume IV, was sized to <br />accept miscellaneous roof fall material and other minor amounts of high ash coal <br />encountered at the mine. There was a second coal mine waste disposal area, <br />gob pile #2, that was designed to handle refuse from the preparation plant along <br />with other miscellaneous high ash coal (TR -30 approved March 23, 2004). The <br />current approved design for gob pile #2 is to have side slopes no steeper than <br />3h:1v slopes with 15' wide terraces on 50' intervals with the first 50 foot lift <br />sloped no steeper than 2.5h:1v. During 2007 gob pile #2 was expanded to the <br />west (TR -44 approved March 20, 2007). The expansion of gob pile #2 added <br />about 500,000 cubic yards to the storage capacity. The expansion area is also <br />known as gob pile no. 4. There are a coverfill pile, topsoil stockpile, diversion & <br />collection ditches, and two sediment ponds associated with the disposal areas. <br />The total combined capacity of Gob piles #2 and #4 is approximately 3,300,000 <br />cubic yards. Under the current approved design, Gob Pile #2 will be expanded <br />to the west and north as shown on Figure 1. The draw, or gap, between Gob <br />Pile #2 and Gob Pile #4 will be filled in with coal mine waste. <br />There is a ridge above the draw that will be steepened in order to allow for more <br />gob storage. The hillside will be graded back at a 1.5h:1v for approximately 185 <br />feet. West Diversion Ditch #1 and #2 will be rerouted to follow the toe of the cut. <br />The expanded area will increase the storage capacity by approximately 600,000 <br />cubic yards. Approval of TR -89 allowed for re -locating the East Diversion Ditch, <br />and West Diversion ditch #2 higher up on the hillside. Gob will be placed in the <br />current location of the East Diversion ditch, and upon approval of TR -98 will be <br />placed in the draw north of the current gob pile location. This expanded area will <br />increase storage capacity by approximately 135,000 CY. <br />TR -98 - 1 - 01/15 <br />