Laserfiche WebLink
West Elk Mine <br />• The F-Seam operations at the West Elk Mine involved the room and pillar type mining method <br />which utilized continuous miners, diesel face haulage, and electric roof bolters. This type of <br />equipment was the best suited for the conditions of the F-Seam panels. The longwall mining <br />method is utilized in the B-Seam and is planned for the E-Seam. Panels are developed using <br />continuous miner sections. Depending on market conditions, two Iongwalls could be operated in <br />these seams. Most coal mined at West Elk is mazketed and shipped as run-of--mine product, i.e. it is <br />not run through a preparation plant or washed. <br />The major surface disturbance at the West Elk Mine is the main facilities azea, including the <br />portals, coal handling facilities, support buildings, and refuse disposal areas, the Lone Pine Gulch <br />ventilation facility, and the Sylvester Gulch Facilities Area. Since the mine is an undergroundmine, <br />the stvface disturbance (approximately 160 acres at present) is small compared to the permit area <br />(approximately 9,783 acres) and the life of mine area (approximately 15,00 acres). <br />Some additional surface disturbance may occur in the future for ventilation devices, refuse disposal, <br />and other facilities necessary for continued mine operations. Changes to the coal handling facilities <br />required for the increased longwall production include upgrading the run-of--mine conveyor belt to <br />60 inches wide, adding dual crushers and a screening circuit at the breaker building, relocating the <br />main haul road and water treatment plant, and adding stacking tubes with underground reclaim <br />systems. Descriptions of these new facilities may be found in Section 2.05. The surface facilities <br />will be reclaimed at the end of mining operations as later described. <br />• For the purposes of this application, the following tetras were used in the document as defined <br />below: <br />1. Mine Plan Area (Boundary): Means the area of land and water within the boundaries of all <br />permit areas during the entire life of the coal mining and reclamation operations. It includes all <br />azeas which are or will be affected during the entire life of those operations. <br />2. Coa] Lease Area (Boundary): Means the area of land and water within the boundaries of all <br />permit areas during the entire life of the coal mining operations that overlie Federal coal leases <br />and privately owned coal, but which do not necessarily include lands disturbed by surface <br />operations in the permit azea. This area is shown on Map 1. <br />3. Permit Area (Boundary): Means the area of land and water within the boundaries of the permit <br />designated on Map 1, Map 53, Map 53A, and described in Exltibit ZA. All areas that will be <br />affected by coal mining and reclamation operations during the five-year term of the permit or <br />longer are included. <br />4. Environmental Study Area (Boundary): Means an area, as delineated on Map 3, that extends <br />approximately one mile outside the permit boundary and mine plan boundary to encompass all <br />drainages and vegetation types on the property. <br />• <br />1.0-3 RevisedFrb 1995TR,'6; Rewsed,vov. /996PR0:.3/9450; Revised.4ug. 1999PR08 <br />