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Mountain Coal Company West EIk Mine Poet Office Box 591 Somerset, Colorado 81434 Telephone 303 929-5015 Fex 303 929-5595 April 27, 1995 Ms. Christine Johnston Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology Office of Mined Land Reclamation 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 i~EGEI~Ep MAY 0 ~ 1995 Division of Minerals is Geoio9Y III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 999 /\ Re: Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Permit No. C-80-007, Minor Revision No. 153 -Table 47, Topsoil Stockpile Volume Update; and 1994 Annual Reclamation Report, Response to Division Comments. Dear Ms. Johnston: Referring to the Division's April 24, 1995, letter to Mountain Coal Company (MCC), attached are MCC's responses to the Division's questions on the forementioned subject. 1. As was stated in MCC's minor revision application, "The actual volume of topsoil salvaged from the Lone Pine Gulch fan facility area was also added. The amount previously shown for this area was based on the original, larger facility area design and was based on a salvage depth of 18-inches. The actual topsoil depths were shallower (4 to 6- inches) and the area of disturbance was smaller (due to the 1:1 cut slope). " The design assumed 18" as "worst case" volume design for the topsoil pile. The actual topsoil depth was four (4) inches to six (6) inches and that is the depth of topsoil that will be replaced at reclamation. 2. No response required. 3. Table 47 was not updated to account for the amount of topsoil and subsoil removed from the slide repair on the southwest side of the lower refuse pile because, as was stated in the minor revision application, "the subsoil was spread on the outslope of the southwest corner of the Lower Refuse Pile for interim reclamation purposes", therefore no "stockpile" exists for the subsoil salvaged from the slide repair. The topsoil, "was removed and placed on the east side bench of the Lower Refuse Pile...", and this soil will begraded to final contour when dry later this Spring or Summer. because this topsoil stockpile is temporary and will be used to reclaim the west and east side of the Lower Refuse Pile this Spring or Summer when the soils are dry. MCC believes that it is not necessary to include these volumes in Table 47.