Laserfiche WebLink
<br />The longest of the roads is the access to the railroad loadout area. This road was designed for <br />regular traffic along two lanes of travel and for access to the overland conveyor. It was built for <br />all types of highway vehicles going to and from the railroad loadout facility. A portion of the <br />road from Co. Rd. 65 north to the temporary truck dump is currently serving as a haul road as <br />accepted under Rule 4.03.1 (1)(d)(ii). The road, because of its design to handle over-the-road <br />truck traffic is performing admirably. Basing conclusions on the road's "in-use" performance and <br />past performance when railroad ballast was hauled, the lack of sloughing or structural damage <br />and the minimal maintenance. required [o maintain the drainage structures. The railroad/conveyor <br />access road north from Rio Blanco county road 65 appears to meet [he construction and <br />performance requirements of Rule 4.03. I and may be accepted as a haul road under rule 4.03.1 <br />(1)(d)(ii) for the haulage of coal by on-highway [rucks. The remainder of the road to railroad <br />loadout facility was built to the same criteria and would be expected to perform equally as well. <br />The exception of this road's construction to Rule 4.03.2 (2)(a) or 4.03.1 (2)(a) is the location. <br />Because the road was also built as an access for conveyor maintenance it is built next to conveyor <br />and does not conform to the location criteria as listed in the Rule. Statements to this fact are <br />listed in the approved Permit Documents. Because the road is located with the conveyor, all <br />environmental protections mentioned for the conveyor construction can be included with the <br />road's construction. For example, re-seeding of the cut and till slopes. <br />As stated in the Permit documents Page IV-44 concerning access roads reads: <br />Construction specifications were in accordance with the applicable sections of <br />the regulatory agency design criteria listed above. Each construction contract <br />document bound the contractor to the applicable sections of the regulatory <br />documents pertaining to construction. <br />The Permit then continues on to include a further detailed description of the access road <br />construction process. Inspection of these roads confirm that the terms of the construction <br />documents and the Permit language was followed in substantial fashion. <br />These access roads have been maintained during the life of the mine in a fashion consistent with <br />Rule 4.03.2. I have personally traveled the access road network for more than ten years and have <br />always observed that the roads have performed to the expectations of the design criteria. The <br />road surfaces consist of crushed gravel and the dust is controlled with magnesium chloride and <br />water. <br />