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r <br />/ • • <br />page 2 <br />Memo to Liddle <br />Mt. Gunnison T.R. <br />(b) In response to my concern regarding the potential impact of the <br />main relocation upon the possible upper waste pile, the Company <br />observes that the impact will be no different from that due to <br />the originally approved configuration. <br />There is one indirect, but significant implication of the proposed <br />Technical Revision which deserves mention. The proposed technical <br />revision indicates that the subsidence test panel will be the only panel <br />to be retreat mined during the first five year permit term. This panel <br />is not proposed to be mined until the fifth year of the permit tens. The <br />original permit approval observed that the Division considered it <br />extremely important that subsidence-related geotechnical and <br />hydrogeological data be collected, in order to facilitate the <br />consideration of future mining permit application plans at the Mt. <br />Gunnison No. 1 Mine. Mining of the test panel during the final year of <br />the initial permit term will probably not provide sufficient data <br />regarding the mechanical and hydrological impacts of subsidence to allow <br />the Division to complete formulation of the necessary findings regarding <br />any areas of future proposed mine plans which are hydrologically adjacent <br />to the Dry Fork drainage. <br />Having reviewed the materials submitted by West Elk Coal Company, <br />it is my opinion that the proposes Technical Revision relocation of mains <br />at the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine does not necessitate the amendment of any <br />of the geotechnical findings of the original permit approval. Therefore, <br />I recommend approval of the Technical Revision. <br />cc: Ed Bischoff <br />Roy Cox <br />Jerry Zimpfer <br />JP/JP <br />Document No: 3228E <br />