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N 7 Mountain Coal Company Waq EYc AAN~s Pant ORba Bmc 597 Somead, Cdaado 97434 TWphons 97097ASW5 Fa 9709056696 May 28, 1996 Mr. Mrke Boulay Colorado Division of Mmerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 \\ III IIIIII III IIII III 999 R~cE1vE~ ~9: MAY 3 0 1996 ~ Division of Mmer~l5 g Geology RE: Minor Revision No. 187; Mountain Coal Company; West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-80-007 Dear Mr. Boulay: Mountain Coal Company (MCC) requests a minor revision to complete an additional exploration hole. This hole is EE-twin. It is located approximately 400 feet from drill hole EE on U. S. Forest Service (L1SFS) land in the NWl/4, Section 22, T13S, R90W, 6th P.M. A map showing the location of this hole is enclosed. Drill hole EE is being permitted under Mmor Revision No. 183. Drill hole EE-twin is necessary to locate and provide site specific Gthologic and geotechnical data for the design of a second ventilation shaft approximately 400 feet from the shaft to be designed from the drill hole EE data. Since the initial determination of the need for additional ventilation in the area of the north main entries of the B seam in the upper Sylvester Gulch drainage, MCC's mine plans have been further refined. Two geotechnical studies were completed to determine the necessary dimensions of the panels, pillars and bamers to be developed in the Box Canyon lease tract. Also, based on pillar problems (unraveling along the coal cleat) in a nearby mine's main entries, MCC refined its mine plan to reorient the Box Canyon panels to a more favorable angle to the cleat. With these refinements to the mine plan in this area, came the realization that the necessary ventilation could not be provided by only one shaft. Two ventilation shafts are needed; one shaft for return (exhaust air) and one shaft for intake (fresh air) ventilation. The reorientation of the panels and the ventilation shafts will be permitted in future revisions. As EE-twin was not originally anticipated during the planning of this year's exploration program, this hole was not specifically covered in the USFS's recent Environmental Assessment (EA). The USFS has been notified of our plans and is in the process of reviewing our request to add this hole to the exploration program. We will forward the appropriate approval documents to the Division once they are received by MCC.