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West Elk Mine <br /> <br />2.05-107 Rev. 06/05- PR10, 03/06- PR10, 05/06- PR10, 11/060- TR107, 04/07- TR108, 09/07- PR12, 02/08- PR12; 11/10- MR372; 10/20- MR-452; <br /> 12/20- TR149; 12/21- TR150, 1/24-TR152, 2/25-MR486 <br />"structures" are addressed under the permit section entitled “Effects of Subsidence and Mine-Induced <br />Seismic Action on Man-Made Structures and Renewable Resources”. <br />Description of Possible Subsidence Consequences – 2.05.6(6)(b)(I) <br /> Pre- and Post-mining Land Uses -2.05.6 (6)(b)(i)(A) <br />As indicated in the Mountain Coal Company Coal Methane Drainage Project EA (February 2002), <br />North Fork Coal EIS (2000), and Environmental Analysis U-94-37 (November 1994), prepared by <br />the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in cooperation with <br />the U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and other jurisdictional agencies, the permit area lands <br />support wildlife use, dispersed recreation, and livestock grazing. <br />The Forest Service Amended Land Resource Management Plan prescribed land use designations of <br />the Box Canyon lease tract, South of Divide permit revision area, and surrounding USFS lands as <br />“5A”, "6B," and “9A” which emphasize riparian, wildlife habitat, and livestock grazing, respectively, <br />and may provide recreational opportunities for semi-primitive non-motorized, semi-primitive <br />motorized and roaded natural settings. The Gunnison National Forest prohibits cross-country travel <br />in motorized vehicles. <br />It is anticipated that little or no impacts to wildlife and domestic livestock uses, and their respective <br />habitat will occur as a consequence of mining-induced subsidence on the permit area. In the <br />unlikely event that subsidence effects adversely impact wildlife or domestic livestock uses <br />associated mitigation measures will focus on returned disturbed areas to a capability and land <br />use(s) which existed prior to mining. These mitigation measures are discussed in detail in Section <br />2.05.6(6)(f)(iv)(A-D) – Detailed Description of Mitigating Measures. <br />Effects of Mining on Surficial Geologic Features <br />The most current evaluations of subsidence impacts can be found in the quarterly subsidence <br />monitoring reports each year. In past years, when evaluating the effects of mining in the permit <br />revision area, the present land use, the post-mining land use and the effects of previous mining in <br />the area were considered. Present land uses primarily include wildlife habitat, recreational <br />hunting, and livestock grazing. Post-mining land uses will be essentially the same. <br />Given the long and extensive history of mining in the area, it is surprising the small number of <br />subsidence related features that have been identified. It cannot be proved that these represent the only <br />cracks associated with the mine, but given the regular survey activity, inspection of the subsidence <br />profiles, and seasonal landowner, hunter, and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel activity, <br />additional cracks would have been noted if they existed. This lack of evidence of surface cracking <br />would lend strong validation to the premise that longwall mining has had minimal surface impacts at <br />West Elk Mine. <br />Landslides <br />The most current evaluations of subsidence impacts can be found in the quarterly subsidence <br />monitoring reports each year. In past years, it could be expected that the changes in stress and strain <br />of the near-surface strata and possible near-surface fractures associated with the predicted <br />subsidence could reactivate or initiate landslides. Mr. Dunrud observed that many of the existing