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Ay MOUNTAIN COAL <br />r COMPANYL.L.c. <br />A Subsidiary of Arch Western Resources, LLC <br />RECEIVED <br />SEP 3 0 2005 <br />West Ells Mine <br />POBox 591 <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />(970)929-5015 <br />Fax (970) 929-5595 <br />September 27, 2005 <br />Diwsion of Minerals antl Geology <br />- Mr. Tom Kaldenbach - -- - - --- -- ----- --- -- ----- - ----- <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 ' <br />Denver, CO 80203 ' - <br />RE: Mountain Coal Company L.L.C., West Elk Mine; Permit C-80-007, Mine Ventilation <br />Shafts at Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE), Technical Revision No. 105, (TR-105). <br />Dear Mr. Kaldenbach: <br />Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. (MCC) submits the enclosed Technical Revision application for <br />the construction of two mine ventilation shafts at the Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE) in portions of <br />Sections 10 and 15, Township 13 South, Range 90 West, 6th PM. The project is within the existing <br />permit area boundary and is within the proposed disturbed acreage of the RPE. Enclosed are three <br />copies of the Public Notice, the Application Form, and the proposed Project Plan. <br />Since construction will occur on a previously disturbed area within the mine property, this technical <br />revision application does not propose an increase of disturbed lands. One shaft will be an intake <br />shaft with no fan; the other will be an exhaust shaft equipped with a fan. They will be constructed <br />using the raise bore/raise bore slashing construction method with cuttings handled inside the mine. <br />The shafts will be used throughout the remaining life-of--mine in the B Seam. <br />The intake air shaft will be enclosed on all but one side by metal siding material. The side remaining <br />open to the atmosphere will be closed off by chain link fencing. A metal roof will be built over the <br />top of this enclosure. This shaft may also be equipped with shaft heaters to heat the intake air. The <br />other shaft will be equipped with a fan powered via overhead line from either Sylvester Gulch or <br />from across Highway 133. A housing structure to enclose the fan motor, fan shaft and fan body will <br />be used to protect these facilities from weather. The fan will discharge straight up into the air to <br />assist in noise attenuation. <br />Upon closure, both RPE Shafts will be capped with concrete and steel structure below ground <br />surface and backfill material will be used to cover the caps. The concrete collars of the shafts will <br />be removed and the azea re-graded to blend with the post-mining RPE configuration. <br />Final shaft design engineering will be based on information derived from subsurface <br />chazacterization studies. These studies are listed below and must occur during the 2005 <br />construction season in order to satisfy mine plan schedules and the critical need for increased <br />ventilation: <br />