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iii IIIIIIIIIIIII III ~ ~o=L'Z;"'Zoo, <br />~/~ 'I ~r~Q/V 2.05 APPLICATION FDR PERMIT FnR SURFACE OR <br />UNDERGROUND MINING ACPIVITIES ~/ <br />2.05.1 Objectives <br />The information provided in this Section reviews the underground <br />coal mining operation and the associated surface operations which WE'C plans <br />to conduct at the New Elk Mine for the permit term. Information provided <br />in this section presents an effort to ensure operations are conducted to <br />protect those environmental resources identified in Section 2.04 of this <br />application. <br />2.05.2 Operation Plan - Life of Operation <br />(1) Production Methods and Equipment <br />Operation of the New Elk Mine (formerly the Allen Mine3 was begun <br />•• in 1952 when the initial production began. The New Elk Mine is a typical <br />underground coal mining operation with access to the Allen coal seam <br />through an incline slope driven from the surface to the coal seam. Mine <br />development has been by rnnventional and continuous methods to remove the <br />coal. Coal has been mined by numerous unden3round mining methods depending <br />upon the types of equipment available which could be utilized in the <br />recovery of the Allen coal seam. Mining methods have consisted of room and <br />pillar mining and longwall mining. Approximately 758 of the coal has been <br />produced by continuous miners working in a roan and pillar configuration. <br />The remaining 25B of the coal production has been produced by longwall <br />mining metho~s. Zn zreas where appropriate, longwall mining or other high <br />coal recovery methods will be used. <br />The New Elk Mine has the capacity of producing approximately <br />1,500,000 tons of coal each year. Anticipated production for the remainder <br />of the permit teen is 406, 352 and 824 thousand tons per year in T987, 1988 <br />• 2.05-1 <br />