REV08900

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 5/8/2006
• Doc Name: Letter & Application
• From: Mountain Coal Company, LLC
• To: DMG
• Type & Sequence: MR334
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

t. MouN~AiN Co>~~
~% ~~/COMPANY
L.L.C. We EllcMine
st
A Subsidiary ofArch Western Resources, LLC P O Box 591
5174 Highway 133
Somerset, CO 81434
[phone]
Fax [phone]
May 03, 2006
.•!\~4'0
Mr. Tom Kaldenbach `~' '
Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) ~~°"-~ ~~6
Office of Mined Land Reclamation ~t>~ ~~ ~ ~;
1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 ac°~
Denver, Colorado 80203 ot~^0s`9~59c
O`NS~oo
Re: Mountain Coal Company LLC (MCC), West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-80-007; Minor
Revision No. 334 (MR-334), Annual Operating Plan 2006 for Methane Drainage Well
(MDW) Drilling Project Plan, Panels 16-24.
Deaz Mr. Kaldenbach,
Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. is submitting this Minor Revision to it's Mining and Reclamation
Permit to include the annual operating plan as approved by the United States Forest Service for MDW
drilling in 2006. The attached information is part of MCC's previous request (TR-96) for authorization
to drill MDWs for Panels 16-24 on MCC's Federal Coal Leases C-1362 and COC 56447. The
technical revision included changes to the permit document and maps associated with the United States
Forest Service (USFS) Environmental Assessment (EA). This submittal contains the 2006 Annual
Operating Plan.
The Annual Operating Plan (AOP) is a USFS requirement. The AOP is provided on an annual basis
and includes MCC's plan of methane drainage operations and related reclamation for each yeaz's
drilling season. The AOP will serve to inform the USFS, CDMG, and the public, of MCC's plans for
the drilling season. It is intended that the AOP serves as a tool for the CDMG to provide a phased
approach to bonding for the project. As costs will change over the life of the project, it will be
beneficial to phase the reclamation costs considering either the increase or decrease in bonding liability
for the AOP fiscal yeaz costs of reclamation. Interim reclamation of MDW pads will continue in 2006,
and final reclamation is being proposed during 2006, as part of this AOP.
This plan includes the storage areas, pads, roads, pipeline corridor, and wells proposed for construction
and use for the 2006 drilling season. It also provides a reclamation plan for those ativities anticipated
to be completed during the 2006 drilling season. This information will be beneficial for the Division to
calculate the bond estimate for this yeaz. A copy of the letter from the USFS approving the 2006 AOP,
will be forwarded to the Division as soon as MCC receives it.
This submittal will be incorporated into the permit document at Volume 11A.