GENERAL32205 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Background Mountain Coal Company L.L. C. (MCC), West Elk Mine, Mining and Reclamation Permit, Technical Revision No. 96, references the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) that is submitted annually to the U. S. Forest Service District Office every April in anticipation of that year's MDW drilling and reclamation activities. In accordance with the AOP and the Conditions of Approval contained in the Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) issued in May of 2002 by the Forest Service regarding the Coal Methane Drainage Project for Panels 16-24, MCC does interim and contemporaneous reclamation on the MDW sites in sequence as the mining progresses and the need for the well location changes. Prior to Technical Revision No. 96, MCC also conducted contemporaneous reclamation on Longwall Panels Nos. 14 and 15, Methane Drainage Well sites. These sites were reclaimed in 2002 and 2003. Sites aze identified for contemporaneous reclamation by careful planning in accordance with surface topography and access, as well as, location within the longwall panels to be mined. These sites are located in azeas where previous ATV trails existed on the Gunnison National Forest and to the extent possible these old trails aze utilized to minimize disturbance in building access roads to the well sites. The cleazed space for the MDW drilling is generally kept under ahalf--acre of disturbance with some exception for a pad that may have as many as three wells drilled of the same site. Roads and Pads Construction As the roads and drill pads aze constructed, topsoil is salvaged and stored with adequate erosion protection, outslopes of the pad are seeded, mulched and fertilized and protected with silt fences or other sediment control devices. In addition, the temporary roads aze provided with sediment control devices such as culverts, rolling and grade dips, with straw bales and/or straw wattles placed at the outfalls of these structures. Pads aze constructed such that there is adequate room for the drilling equipment and the associated mudpits to capture the drilling fluids. Immediately after construction, topsoil piles are identified with signs, provided with silt fence protection azound the perimeter, seeded, mulched, and fertilized. Outslopes of the temporary pad aze also provided with silt fence or equivalent erosion protection such as straw wattles. These outslopes aze also seeded, mulched and fertilized as part of the interim reclamation. Post Drilling-Interim Reclamation Once the drilling has been completed, mudpits aze reclaimed within the course of a couple weeks and the sites may be pulled back to a size that accommodates the installation of the MD W methane gathering pumps and operational maintenance of them. This is done as a part of the interim reclamation spelled out in the Conditions of Approval. Subsequently, all of the disturbed area that has been affected and is not subject to further activities is seeded, mulched and fertilized and normally typical sediment control devices aze installed, such as straw wattles, silt fence, sediment traps, and straw bales.