2024-08-29_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (2)

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West Elk Mine 2.05-46 Rev. 11/04, 03/06, 04/06 & 05/06- PR10; 08/09- TR118; 08/09-TR119; 09/09- MR357; 01/10- TR120; 10/12- MR-388 As MCC projected that the Lower Refuse Pile would reach its maximum storage capacity in 1997, a third refuse disposal area was designed. The Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE) area was designed and prepared to the east of the Lower Refuse Pile and east of Sylvester Gulch. As described in Exhibit 51, refuse disposal at the LRP ceased before reaching the maximum designed storage capacity, because all refuse disposal was being handled in the RPE area (as of October 1998). Refuse disposal at the RPE will also cease before reaching it maximum designed capacity to accommodate a refuse bin for the RPE East area described below. The design information and baseline data for the RPE area are contained in Exhibit 70. With projections for the RPE area to reach its maximum designed capacity by the end of 2010, MCC completed design and engineering of the RPE East refuse disposal area, located within No Name Gulch, approximately one mile southeast of the WEM main portals. Refuse to be disposed in this area will primarily be generated from the CPP and will be conveyed to a refuse bin located east of Sylvester Gulch on top of the RPE. After the refuse bin is in place and the RPE East (RPEE) area is operational, the RPEE will be MCC’s primary permanent refuse disposal area. Approximately 150,000 cubic yards of compacted refuse may be temporarily stockpiled on the RPE and/or LRP when the RPEE is inaccessible (e.g. inclement weather, poor ground conditions, etc.) and will be later hauled to the RPEE for permanent disposal. Approximately five to six, 20-yard truckloads per hour (when CPP refuse is being generated) will be hauled from the refuse bin to the RPEE. An average of 300,000 tons per year of coal refuse is expected to be compacted into the refuse pile, with a maximum of 500,000 tons anticipated in any given year. Detailed engineering and designs of the RPE East area, including haul roads and drainage features, is included in Exhibit 82. . Approximately 150,000 cubic yards of coal may also be temporarily stored on the RPE and LRP as needed to manage inventory and shipping requirements. The Lone Pine Gulch Development Waste Pile contained approximately 17,000 cubic yards of material generated from the development of the Lone Pine Gulch fan intake and return entries. Designs for this pile are contained in Exhibit 42A. This development waste pile was completed, soil-covered and seeded in the fall of 1995. The facility was decommissioned and the Lone Pine facilities, including the development waste pile, in 2005. Although most of the refuse material generated at West Elk Mine will end up in the refuse disposal areas, some non-coal waste may be disposed of in one of two other ways. First, some non-combustible materials may be placed in abandoned mine workings. Second, suitable materials may be crushed and used for graveling roadways in the mine. Overall, relatively little material will be disposed of using these alternate methods. All disposal areas and the development waste pile were designed and are maintained according to CMLRB regulations. As such, they are not located near underground mine air shafts, tipples, or other surface installations. The refuse disposal areas are also constructed and operated in compliance with MSHA regulations, including signs posted with the assigned MSHA identification number and other necessary information. The signs are posted next to the entrance to each of the disposal areas per MSHA regulations.