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West Elk Mine <br /> <br />2.05-19 Rev. 06/05, 01/06, 03/06, 04/06 & 05/06- PR10; 01/09- MR350; 04/09- TR116; 04/09- MR353; 05/09- MR354; 08/09- TR118; <br />08/09- TR119; 09/12- MR387; 11/12- MR390; 07/18-PR15; 11/18- MR430; MR438- 09/19; MR439- 11/19; 07/20- MR447; 6/22- <br />MR464; 6/22 MR466; 6/22 MR468; 11/22 MR471; 07/23 MR474; 8/23 MR476; 09/23 MR477, 10/23 MR478, MR479, MR480 <br />A water treatment plant at the mine site provides potable water for the operation. The Culligan <br />Multi-Tech 48 water treatment system can treat water at the rate of 62 gpm. Thus, maximum <br />capacity is about 89,280 gallons of treated water per day. The water treatment plant is operated as <br />required by state regulations and under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Public Health <br />and Environment (CDPHE). An as-built construction description of the building housing this <br />system is provided in Exhibit 68. MCC has the capability to expand the water treatment plant, if <br />needed. Capacity can be readily expanded by adding additional components should the need ever <br />arise due to increased needs at the mine. Treated water is pumped to the 175,000 gallon potable <br />water tank located west of the mine portals. A chlorine meter housed in a wooden shed aids in <br />monitoring the chlorine levels in the treated water entering the mine’s potable water distribution <br />system. <br /> <br />Demand for water at the mine is expected to increase in the future. With the estimated maximum <br />8.2 million tons (plus) per year production at West Elk Mine, MCC conservatively estimates that <br />as much as 300 acre feet per year but a likely maximum of 150 acre feet per year (based on 250 <br />work days) of fresh water will be required. Prior to installation of the longwall, annual coal <br />production was 600,000 tons per year. At this rate, water needs were about 65 acre-feet per year. <br />The Annual Hydrology Reports submitted to the CDRMS each year contain specific data on the <br />amount of water consumed annually at the mine since 1982. <br /> <br />Water used at West Elk Mine comes from adjudicated water rights owned by MCC. Table 33 <br />summarizes MCC’s rights. The rights are used according to Colorado Water Laws administered by <br />the District No. 4 Water Commissioner. MCC also has available (for use or augmentation) non- <br />tributary water rights and storage water rights (not shown in Table 33) for the water generated from <br />the mine and stored in sumps maintained within the underground mine. <br /> <br />Table 33 <br />Summary of Mountain Coal Company’s Water Rights for the West Elk Mine <br />Source of Water Water Rights <br />Mt. Gunnison Pipeline 15.00 cubic feet per second <br />Tony Bear Pipeline 0.9 cubic feet per second <br />Chipmunk Ditch 1.0 cubic feet per second <br />Walter Gallob Ditch 0.75 cubic feet per second <br /> <br />Sedimentation Ponds: <br /> MB-3 0.23 acre-feet <br /> MB-5E 19.59 acre-feet1 <br /> <br />Freshwater Ponds: <br /> FW-1 9.98 acre-feet <br /> FW-2 13.66 acre-feet2 <br /> <br />Mt. Gunnison Tunnel 0.49 feet per second <br />Notes: 1. The DWR approved an application filed in 08/09 to combine the adjudicated water storage rights of former ponds MB-1 and MB-2 into new <br /> pond MB-5E. <br /> 2. This 13.66 acre-feet includes 3.68 acre-feet from the former MB-1 storage right in this pond location and 9.98 acre-feet from the original FW-2 <br /> conditional storage right being perfected in the application above. <br /> <br />The water distribution system at West Elk Mine contains several major components. They include <br />the raw water intake gallery and pumps, HDPE, cast or steel utility piping, freshwater storage ponds <br />FW-1 and FW-2 (formerly sediment pond MB-1), potable water treatment plant, mine water pumps,