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C I ~18aoo~ <br />:, <br />~~%~~,~ United States Forest Paonia P.O. Box 1030 <br />Department of Service Ranger District N Rio Grande Ave. <br />~' Agriculture PHONE NO. 970-527-4131 Paonia, CO 81428 <br />FAX 970-527-4151 <br />~'` /~ File Code: 2820-4 <br />i~~C Y Date: August 22, 2005 <br />},.v+; 2 4 2005 <br />Dear Interested Party, <br />e ~,inetils and Gcmc„ <br />The Grand Mesa-Uncompahgr~+~'6'h9uson National Forests (GMUG) is inviting public <br />comments on a proposal from Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. (MCC), to construct a <br />ventilation air shaft, an emergency escape shaft, and associated access road, in T. 13 S., R. 90 <br />W., in the NE '/a of Section 32. MCC has proposed two alternatives for this activity, both near <br />the intersection of NFSR 711 (Dry Fork Road), and NFSR 711.2A (Deer Creek Rd), see the <br />attached map. The estimated disturbance on the Lower Pad option is 1.23 acres of disturbance, <br />including 125-feet of access road. The Upper Pad option contains 1.69 acres of disturbance <br />including 760-feet of access road. <br />The purpose of the shaft is to provide ventilation for the West Elk Mine. The proposed shaft <br />would be designed to function without a ventilation fan, whereby air would be moving freely out <br />of the mine without mechanical assistance. The emergency escape shaft is proposed to support <br />mine evacuation plans and meet Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requirements <br />for the mine. Both the ventilation shaft and the escape shaft would be constructed on the same <br />pad (see attached map). <br />The pad location (regardless of alternative), would contain one 20-foot diameter, 400 foot deep <br />(based on current survey estimates) ventilation shaft lined with a concrete collar. The adjacent <br />proposed 5-foot diameter escape shaft would also be lined with a concrete collar. In addition the <br />escape shaft would require apropane-powered electric generator to power a hoist for an <br />evacuation capsule (holding approx. 5 people). The escape shaft, associated generator, and hoist <br />would be housed in a fully enclosed steel-sided building to reduce any noise. For safety <br />purposes, MCC proposes to bury a 1000-gallon propane tank on the pad to power the generator. <br />Per MSHA requirements, the hoist and generator wottld need to be "exercised" weekly <br />(approximately 15-20 minutes). MCC proposes a locked, 6-foot high chain link fence topped <br />with barbed-wire to preclude public and wildlife access to the pad. <br />Other aspects of this proposal include drilling 3 or more, 3"-4" diameter, open-augured <br />geotechnical drill holes. These holes would be drilled on the same pad as the proposed shafts, <br />and would allow MCC to determine the depth of bedrock and soil conditions; required data for <br />the engineered design of the ventilation shaft and escape shaft. <br />MCC is proposing to constrict the pad and perform the geotechnical drilling in the summer/fall <br />of2006. This would allow for the construction ofthe ventilation and escape shaft (both using <br />raised-bore drilling methods) in the sunnner/fall of 2007. Both the ventilation shaft and escape <br />shaft would be considered "life-of-mine" facilities (estimated to be approx. the year 2020). <br />r <br />0~~ Caring tm' the Land and Serving People Prmtea on aecy~ea Pane. ~'~ <br />