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conveyor carries coal from the storage silos to the over-the-track loadout. A portion of this <br />conveyor is completely enclosed as it crosses the North Fork of the Gunnison River and Highway <br />133. Coal is primarily shipped from the West Elk Mine by rail; however, some coal is trucked <br />from the mine or transferred to various handling or stockpile facilities on the mine site. <br />Refuse at the mine is generated during underground construction activities and mining. Other <br />sources of refuse material aze contaminated coal spillage, sediment pond dredgings, and soils <br />contaminated with non-hazazdous materials. These other sources of refuse only make up a small <br />amount of the refuse produced at the mine. Refuse is currently being disposed onto a permanent <br />refuse pile called the Refuse Pile Expansion area (RPE). This is a 20-acre site to the east of the <br />Lower Refuse Disposal Area and east of Sylvester Gulch. The original disposal area, referred to <br />as the Lower Refuse Pile, remains across Sylvester Gulch from the RPE. The level azea on top is <br />used as an equipment lay-down azea and the slopes have been topsoiled and seeded. An Upper <br />Refuse Disposal Area has also been approved for construction, and has not been built. Even <br />though MCC has verbally indicated that this pile will not be needed, before the pile can be <br />constructed, MCC must address a stipulation #7. <br />State Highway 133 provides the main access to the West Elk Mine. A haul road joins the <br />highway east of the lower refuse pile and serves as the access to all facilities except the silo <br />storage area. An old haul road accesses this area and other lower mine facilities, which is now <br />considered an access road. Other access roads include the middle-mine facilities road and the <br />Sylvester Gulch fan road. The Lone Pine Gulch road has been designated as a light-use road and <br />provides access to a ventilation fan. <br />Surface runoff from the disturbed area is treated by eight ponds and a number of small area <br />exemptions (SAES). MB-1 is a large upper pond that holds mine discharge water and drainage <br />from the upper areas of the site including the mine bench. MB-2R is the large lower pond which <br />treats drainage from a majority of the site, including the lower refuse pile. MB-3 is a small lower <br />pond which treats drainage from the silo storage area. MB-4 serves the train loadout area and <br />MB-5 treats drainage at the old Bear Mine site. Sediment control pond SG-1 is located within <br />Sylvester Gulch to treat runoff from the disturbed area associated with ventilation shafts. <br />Mountain Coal Company also has a freshwater pond, designated FW-1, which provides two <br />months' storage capacity for potable and domestic water uses. Another proposed freshwater <br />pond, FW-2, has not been constructed at this time and is not planned for construction during this <br />permit term. <br />Topsoil storage azeas are located on the east side of the surface facilities. This is known as the <br />main topsoil stockpile and will be used during reclamation to cover the majority of the <br />disturbance to a depth of 12 to 18 inches. Other topsoil and subsoil piles are -ocated south of the <br />lower refuse pile and on the reclaimed benches. These piles will primarily be used to cover the <br />refuse pile with 18 to 24 inches of soil. <br />The permit area covers approximately 15,638 acres. Of this total, approximately 385 acres aze <br />disturbed, which primarily includes surface facilities and methane degas pads. <br />Upon cessation of mining at the West Elk Mine, reclamation will return the disturbed land to a <br />rangeland and wildlife habitat land use. Some reclamation activities will occur during the life of <br />37 <br />