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<br />DATE: November 28, 2005 <br />TO: McClane Canyon Mine File (C-80-004 General Correspondence) <br />RE: CAM proposed new mine project ~~- <br />tro~ ' ~4ti ~q f~~r ~/ `~ <br />On November 25, 2005, I visited the site of the proposed new mine site for which Central <br />Appalachia Mining (CAM) may submit a permit application in the next couple years. Preliminary <br />preparations associated with an EIS for the mine and rail spur project are under way. Walter <br />Whitledge of CAM accompanied me to a location where the company anticipates a coal <br />preparation plant may be located, near the terminal point of the future rail spur. Currently, <br />vehicular access ends approximately %< mile beyond that point, although there is an old <br />exploration road (I assume) that continues for another mile or so, which is washed out in several <br />locations. I set off on foot to reach the anticipated portal vicinity; Mr. Whitledge did not <br />accompany me. The hike took around 5 hours. <br />Various proposed site locations are delineated on an October 2005 BLM Map, Central Appalachia <br />Mining Proposed Mine Facilities and Rail Spur, which had been provided by BLM at a meeting <br />the previous week. The anticipated mine entry location is in a steep sided canyon in the <br />Bookcliffs, in Garfield County south of the Munger Canyon permit area, within federal lease C- <br />0125516. Certain support facilities including portions of the haul road and most of the rail spur <br />would be in Mesa County. All of the mine area facilities are on BLM surface; lower segments of <br />the rail spur (outside the coal permit area) would be on private surface. <br />On my hike into the future mine entry area, I followed a circular route, heading northeast initially, <br />and ascended the steep slopes to the high ridgeline of the Bookcliffs. I followed that ridgeline to <br />the northwest, until I came to a point over-looking the head of the canyon where the entries would <br />be located. Sheer rock outcrops prevented access to the entry area from the high ridge. From <br />there, I backtracked along the high ridge, and descended a subsidiary ridge heading southwest <br />(the proposed upper road segment to the entry area would traverse the side slope lower on the <br />north side of this ridge). On the lower half of my hike out, I followed the old abandoned <br />exploration road. <br />I took a number of digital photos that were saved to my C drive, as well as to m:coal/dtm/CAM <br />Project 11-25-05. Photo descriptions are listed below. <br />#2320-Refuse disposal would be in two small watersheds located between the two prominent <br />barren ridges in the background (see BLM map for site locations). <br />#2321-View in general direction of mine site from coal prep plant vicinity. Due to the orientation <br />of canyons and ridges, actual site of the canyon segment where the mine entries would be <br />located is not visible from this location. <br />#2322-Prep plant vicinity; gravelly bench at base of Bookcliffs, juniper/sagebrush transitional <br />community. <br />#2323-Prep plant vicinity <br />