Laserfiche WebLink
• 2.06.9 Augering <br />Pits 6, 7 and 8 will be stripped to expose a bench approximately <br />100 feet wide. Coal from the exposed seam underlying the bench will <br />then be removed by the strip methods described in Section 2.05. The <br />coal seam will then be exposed at the base of the highwall. The <br />Rockcastle Company will use an augering machine to remove an addi_ <br />tional 100 to 150 feet of coal. <br />To calculate volumes of material to be moved and determine surface <br />disturbances, cross-sections at 100_foot intervals were taken from the <br />topographic map and plotted. These drawings showed the height of the <br />highwall and the width of the bench. The surface disturbances which <br />will occur are shown on the Mining Plan Map. The Rockcastle Company <br />will follow augering techniques which provide for safety while maxi_ <br />mizing recovery of the coal resource. <br />In general, auger holes will have a diameter approximately equal <br />to the thickness of the coal seam, or slightly smaller. Actual hole <br />diameter will depend on variations in the coal seam thickness and on <br />equipment availability. <br />No more than 2,500 feet of horizontal augering will be performed <br />along the coal seam without leaving a 250_foot wide unmined area. <br />There will be one unmined area approximately in the center of Pit 6 <br />• and one unmined area near the center of Pit 7. Pit 8 is small enough <br />so that no unmined area will be required. An elevation view of a <br />typical augering area is shown on Figure 2, page V_17. <br />~ The coal at Pits 6, 7 and 8 dips about 5° to the northwest so <br />~-• there will be no drainage from the auger openings. Each auger opening <br />~ ~ wt e sea a ys o owing comp a ton by returning over_ <br />`~~ burden to that particular area. Slopes are such that approximate ori_ <br />vw ginal contours can be achieved. The Reclamation Plan Map shows <br />5 proposed contours for the strip and auger areas. Reclamation and <br />seeding will follow the same pattern as for Pits 4 and 5. <br />Figure 1 is a series of sequential drawings showing how strip and <br />augering is accomplished. <br />Additional Information Applicant Wishes to Submit <br />There are three temporary facilities which are not included on the <br />Mining Plan Map. These are the temporary shop building, temporary <br />equipment storage area, and temporary fuel and lubricant storage area. <br />The shop building is a wooden beam and corrugated metal structure <br />approximately 20 feet by 50 feet that is erected at each active pit as <br />mining progresses. It is erected at each pit over an area that has <br />been backfilled with overburden and leveled, but not topsoiled. <br />Similarly, the equipment storage and temporary fuel and lubricant <br />storage areas are in the same general area as the shop, and the three <br />• occupy an area approximately 100 feet by 200 feet. These facilities <br />will be moved from pit to pit to follow the working equipment fleet. <br />7 <br />V_15 <br />8_81 <br />