2022-10-17_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (29)

Home Browse Search

RULE 2 PERMITS Collom – Rule 2, Page 70 Revision Date: 4/28/22 Revision No.: TR-154 The truck/shovel fleet will mine overburden and will haul the overburden to the out of pit dump or dump within the current pit shell. As the Collom boxcut is developed, highwall mining operations will mine coal in the B,C,D and E seams on the highwall and low wall sides of the boxcut. Highwall mining will also take place along the east and west flanks of the Little Collom Draw, located within the permitted pit shell. Further information on highwall mining in the Collom Pit is provided in Section 4.23. Please refer to Map 23B for a visual representation of the areas to be mined within the Collom Pit. It is estimated that coal production from the Collom Pit will build from about 2.1 million tons in 2022 up to about 2.4 million tons in 2023 and 2024. Collom Pit coal production is estimated to fluctuate from 2025-2029 between 1.2 and 1.7 million tons. A total overburden/interburden volume of 47,971,955 bank cubic yards (bcy) and coal tonnage of 14,676,774 in-situ tons are estimated to be generated and produced, respectively, from the Collom Pit. Of the 14,676,774 in-situ tons in the Collom Pit, approximately 6,00,000 tons will come from highwall mining. Table 2.05-2 in Volume 1 presents estimated production for the permit term. A general description of the initiation of mining activities in the Collom Pit is described below: Sediment Control System Construction: Please refer to Section 2.05.3(4) for a description f the sediment control system. Collom Pit and Excess Overburden Pile: Once sediment control strucutures were construrcted, topsoil stripping commenced for the initial box cut area and Opile (also referred to as the temporary spoil pile). Construction of the excess overburden pile underdrain commenced in the valley bottom progressing upstream from the southernmost limit of the excess overburden pile and progressing downstream toward the final toe of the temporaroy spoil pile. Initial construction of the toe of the excess overburden pile (northern extent) will commence concurrently with boxcut development. For development of the intial box cut of the Collom Pit, Colowyo will utilize truck/shovel techniques. Mining will be conducted in an up-dip direction. (north to south). Please refer to Volume 1, Section 2.05.3 for blasting procedures and sequencing information applicable to the Collom expansion area activities. Please also refer to Section 4.08 of this package for additional information. Once the overburden is sufficiently fragmented to allow for efficient removal and loading, overburden will be loaded and transported to the excess overburden pile or to adjoining mined-out areas within the pit. After removal of the overburden, the coal seams will be exposed. As the coal seams are exposed, they will be cleaned using auxiliary equipment, then either drilled and shot with explosives, or ripped to prepare the coal for loading and removal. When explosives are needed, the drilling will be performed by an auger drill. The drill hole pattern is generally spaced approximately 12 feet by 12 feet, though dependent upon the actual coal seam thickness. Drill holes will be loaded with either ANFO or a waterproof explosive (if the holes are wet). Once the coal has been prepared for loading by blasting or ripping, a rubber-tired front-end loader or excavator will load the coal into haulage trucks. Following loading, these haulage trucks will transport the coal along in pit haulage routes to the primary crusher located just outside of the pit, as shown on Map 25D (Collom Coal Haul Road). Coal from the primary crusher will be loaded into trucks and transported