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~~MOUNTAIN COAL <br />~COMPANY~.~~. <br />A Subsidiary of Arch Western Resowces, LLC <br />Apri123, 2004 <br />RECEIVED <br />West Ells Mine <br />POBox 59l <br />S l74 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />(970) 929-5015 <br />Fax (970)929-5595 <br />APR 2 8 20U4 <br />Mr. James Burnell <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Division ~f Minerals and Geology <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company LLC (MCC), West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-80-007; Minor <br />Revision No. 302 (MR-302), Annual Operating Plan 2004 for Methane Drainage Well <br />(MDW) Drilling Project Plan, Panels 16-24. <br />Deaz Mr. Burnell, <br />Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. is submitting this Minor Revision to it's Mining and Reclamation <br />Permit to include the annual operating plan as approved by the United States Forest Service for MDW <br />drilling in 2004. The attached information is part of MCC's previous request (TR-96) for authorization <br />to drill MDWs for Panels 16-24 on MCC's Federal Coal Leases C-1362 and COC 56447. The <br />technical revision included changes to the permit document and maps associated with the United States <br />Forest Service (USFS) Environmental Assessment (EA). This submittal contains the USFS approval <br />letter and the 2004 Annual Operating Plan. <br />The Annual Operating Plan (AOP) is a USFS requirement. The AOP is provided on an annual basis <br />and includes MCC's plan of methane drainage operations and related reclamation for each year's <br />drilling season. The AOP will serve to inform the USFS, CDMG, and the public, of MCC's plans for <br />the drilling season. It is intended that the AOP serves as a tool for the CDMG to provide a phased <br />approach to bonding for the project. As costs will change over the life of the project, it will be <br />beneficial to phase the reclamation costs considering either the increase or decrease in bonding liability <br />for the AOP fiscal year costs of reclamation. A table is included which shows the anticipated <br />reclamation in 2004, with the MDW roads and pads scheduled for recontouring and revegetation, and <br />holes scheduled to be plugged and abandoned. <br />The plan includes the storage azeas, pads, roads, and wells proposed for construction and use for the <br />2004 drilling season. This information will be beneficial for the Division to calculate the bond estimate <br />for this yeaz. A copy of the letter from the USFS approving the 2004 AOP, is included for your <br />records. <br />This submittal will be incorporated into the permit document at Volume 11A. <br />