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Creek with a road and bridge and to build 1420 feet of temporary road on a slope <br />greater than 60%. <br />All of the proposed MDWs are located within Federal Coal Lease COC-61357 (Appendix B). <br />Implementation of this proposal would require two variances to stipulations on the lease; one <br />for no surface occupancy of riparian areas, and the second for no surface occupancy on <br />slopes greater than 60%. The attached Exhibit A shows the locations where these variances <br />are needed. <br />The 11 proposed MDWs are located approximately 3 miles northeast of the town of <br />Somerset, Colorado, north of State Hwy 133 as shown on Exhibit A. The western most <br />MDWs, accessed through the Hubbard Creek road, will require reconstructing a route <br />previously used for exploration drilling. This route, which was originally reclaimed in 2003, <br />requires crossing Hubbard Creek (i.e. using aloes-water crossing and/or bridge). The two drill <br />pad locations along this access route require reconstructing approximately 1950 feet of <br />temporary road, and constructing 1250 feet of new temporary road (see Exhibit A). To the <br />east, the other 6 drill pad locations will be accessed from roads emanating from the Bear <br />Creek drainage. Use of the drill pad locations in this portion of the project are require <br />reconstructing approximately 2015 feet of temporary road, and constructing 975 feet of new <br />temporary road (see Exhibit A). Total disturbance for the road construction associated with <br />this proposal (14 ft running surface with turnouts, assuming an average 20 foot disturbance <br />width), is approximately 2.9 acres. <br />Each drill pad is estimated to cover approximately 0.25 acres (80' x 130'). Therefore, the total <br />disturbance for the construction of the 8 drill pad locations is 2 acres. <br />The MDWs would be active when the coal extraction phase approaches the area and passes <br />under and beyond it. It is anticipated that the effective life of each MDW well would range <br />from six months to 2 years. Oxbow anticipates timing of the construction and installation of <br />the five proposed MDWs to be phased over a period of about 4 years, starting in summer <br />2006 and ending in 2010. The last well completed could be active up to 2012. When no <br />longer needed, the MDWs would be decommissioned (wells plugged and sealed, and <br />associated surface disturbance restored and re-vegetated). <br />All drilling mud or agents would be contained on the drill pads in mud pits or portable tanks. <br />Earthen berms on the perimeter of the drill pads would serve as secondary containment for <br />drilling mud. Oxbow would transport water to the sites for drilling operations in either high <br />pressure hoses laid along the ground surface, or through water trucks. Water needs are <br />anticipated to be up to 1.0 acre-feet during construction of wells and drill pads. Water would <br />be obtained from Oxbow in-mine water production facilities. <br />Following the construction of each well, aself-contained, skid-mounted, methane exhauster <br />would be installed to draw methane from the mine workings to the surface. Exhausters <br />operate on methane from the MDW. Bottled propane would serve as a backup fuel source for <br />these exhausters. <br />Alf temporary access roads and drill pads would be decommissioned by obliteration and <br />reclaimed after the MDWs are decommissioned and plugged. <br />