PERMFILE59716

• Permit No: C1982056A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 8/10/2006
• Section_Exhibit Name: 2.05 Operation and Reclamation Plans
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

In the event the highwall proves to be unstable over the entries either a steel arch, mats, and/or concrete will be
installed to stabilize the area. The entries will be driven from the Main North workings, and approximately 13,000
tons of coal will be mined during the development of these entries. The entries will be approximately 900 feet in
length. The location of the entries is shown on Map 23.
When the entries are no longer needed, they will be sealed consistent with the procedure outlined on page 2.05-119,
by constructing seals consistent with the approved "typical seal" design as shown on Figure 15. After construction
of the seals is completed, the site will be backfilled in accordance with the approved plan. No additional work,
except for seal construction, will be required as a result of developing the eastern portals.
Minim Method
The mining method planned for the Foidel Creek Mine is a combined system of room and pillar and longwall
mining. Both mining methods are successfully used in western U.S. coal operations having similar mining
conditions.
Room and Pillar Minine
Room and pillar mining refers to the extraction of rooms (mine openings), while retaining unmined pillars of coal
for support, using a continuous mining machine. Rooms are mined on development and the pillars are partially
extracted during retreat. This mining method has been the backbone of the U.S. coal mining industry and it owes
its popularity to its relatively low cost and flexibility. This method easily adapts to changes in the geological and
physical conditions of the mine. Continuous miners can negotiate tectonically disturbed areas of the mine and
adapt to seam variations and uneven reserve blocks. The continuous miner section equipment can be easily and
quickly transported to different locations in the mine, and total production is only proportionately affected by
stoppages of any one unit.
The productivity of a continuous miner unit in room and pillar extraction is less than longwall mining under most
conditions and thus more expensive in operating cost-per-ton. The overall coal recovery for room and pillar mining
seldom exceeds 55 to 60 percent, due to the necessity to leave barrier pillars and pillar stumps.
LonQwall Minin
Longwall mining has gained great acceptance and is increasing in popularity in the U.S., primarily because of its
inherent advantages of high productivity, low operating cost, high reserve recovery, and improved worker safety.
Longwall mining derives its name from the several hundred-foot long faces from which coal is cut. Longwall panels
are large blocks of coal laid out several thousands of feet long by several hundreds of feet wide. Extraction occurs
using a powerful cutting machine with rotating drums which cut slices of coal from the face of each panel. All work
takes place under a canopy of hydraulic steel supports. The roof supports are closely placed side-by-side in a straight
line to separate the working face from the caved area behind the shields. The cutting phase is followed by advance of
the steel supports in a continuous cycle of operation. As the shields move forward, the unsupported roof behind the
shields caves, relieving roof stress. Longwall mining achieves upward of 75 percent recovery because the entire seam
is extracted in major blocks.
Production
Annual production levels will be dictated by market demand and as such, are subject to yearly adjustments. Table
46, Production Schedule, shows current estimated annual production for the life of the operation. Production began
in 1983 with 21,500 tons mined. Production for 1984 was 187,492 tons. Production has subsequently ramped-up
with increasing demand for coal, and is expected to reach the maximum production level of 12,000,000 tons per
year in 2008, contingent on required facility upgrades and obtaining all necessary related permit approvals prior to
increasing production above currently permitted levels.
TR06-52 2.05-9 06/27/06