My WebLink
|
Help
|
About
|
Sign Out
Home
Browse
Search
GENERAL35614
DRMS
>
Back File Migration
>
General Documents
>
GENERAL35614
Metadata
Thumbnails
Annotations
Entry Properties
Last modified
8/24/2016 7:56:31 PM
Creation date
11/23/2007 8:24:10 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
DRMS Permit Index
Permit No
C1980007
IBM Index Class Name
General Documents
Doc Name
RECLAMATION AWARD NOMINATION WEST ELK MINE MOUNTAIN COAL CO
Permit Index Doc Type
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
Media Type
D
Archive
No
There are no annotations on this page.
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015
Laserfiche.
All rights reserved.
/
9
PDF
Print
Pages to print
Enter page numbers and/or page ranges separated by commas. For example, 1,3,5-12.
After downloading, print the document using a PDF reader (e.g. Adobe Reader).
View images
View plain text
111 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII <br />999 <br />RECLAMATION AWARD NOMINATION <br />WEST ELK MINE -MOUNTAIN COAL COMPANY <br />Large Underground Category. <br />In response to elevated combustion gas readings and probability of a coal fire, Mountain Coal <br />Company ceased production in their West Elk Mine on January 28, 2000. Shortly after this date, <br />the Mine Safety and Heal[h Administration assumed oversight of activities to locate and quench <br />coal combustion in the mine. <br />Mountain Coal Company began a drilling program into the mine from above, in an area known <br />as Apache Rocks, that happened to be the topographically highest terrain within the permit area <br />(7856 to neazly 8000'). Forced to access the area during the winter season, with deep snow and <br />mud hindering the operation, Mountain Coal Company cleared roads that were closed in the <br />winter, widened these roads to accommodate the necessary equipment, and blazed as few <br />roadways as possible. At the instruction of the surface owner -the USFS - a road was relocated <br />from its previous location within a drainage to the slopes above the streambed. Mountain Coal <br />Company laid gravel on the roads and has maintained a water truck since to control dust since <br />the dry season started. <br />The emergency drilling program drilled 43 wells in just 2 months. Mountain Coal Company <br />worked closely with the Division of Minerals and Geology and the U.S. Forest Service, along <br />with the Mine Safety and Health Administration personnel, to place the roads and drillpads and <br />to control the azea of disturbance in a remote azea of extremely steep terrain. The total disturbed <br />area was 6.5 acres. <br />A double pipeline was constructed from the mine's water tank to the Apache Rocks azea in the <br />heart of the winter season, stretching over 3.5 miles. Maintenance of the pipeline has required <br />large pump stations. Mountain Coal Company has managed this pumping project with extreme <br />caze and sensitivity to the environment, and has dedicated personnel fulltime to the maintenance <br />and oversight of the pipeline and pumping facilities. <br />Reclamation of the disturbance began in April, 2000. Mountain Coal Company quickly <br />reclaimed all those disturbed azeas for which approval was received from MSHA. Sites and <br />access roads were grades to approximate original contour, hand seeded with a seed mix <br />requested by the US Forest Service, with straw mulch carefully applied by hand over the <br />reclaimed sites. Electric fence has been installed azound all the reclaimed sites to keep grazing <br />cattle off the areas. Roads aze being reclaimed or reduced to two-track roads, as requested by <br />the Forest Service. <br />Mountain Coal Company deserves commendation for their conscientious efforts, cooperating <br />with the regulatory agencies and surface managers, during this project. The care they have <br />taken during construction and no~v reclamation of this area under severe conditions was an <br />outstanding effort. <br />
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.