GENERAL39413

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Name: Dec Document for Federal Lease COC-56447
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Both seams would be mined by underground longvall mining methods. •
Continuous miner units and shuttle cars would be used as the means of
development extraction, with a belt conveyor for transportation of the coal
to the surface. Coal would be transported by conveyor from the portal to
the rail loadout located on private lands off Highway 133 east of Somerset.
Surface Use
To develop and extract the coal contained in the Box Canyon lease
tract, the lessee would need to construct certain surface facilities to
provide a safe work place for miners, and efficiently extract and transport
the coal. The location of these facilities is dependent on the lessee
awarded the tract. Should an operator which is not established in the area
be awarded the lease, a rail load out and storage facility would be
required, which would likely be located in the northern portion of the
lease, along Highway 133. However, should Mountain Coal Company be the
successful bidder, it is likely the existing rail load out facility would
be utilized, minimizing the total surface disturbance. Within the lease
tract, disturbances on the National Forest System and BLM surface would
likely include (but not limited to):
Hain Ventilation Facility
The lessee would need co construct a main ventilation shaft on
National Forest System land co safely and efficiently extract the coal.
Due to the topography of the area and the fact that the "E"~ seam is of
mineable thickness only on the western boundary of the lease tract, it is
anticipated that this facility would need co be located in the Sylvester
Gulch area. There relatively low overburden and suitable gradients allow
access to both seams within the same facility. Access from the current
facility is possible, but unlikely, due to the old workings of the Oliver
~2 mine and thinning of the "E" seam in chat portion of the lease. This
facility would probably consist of the following:
a) Amain exhaust shaft and fan;
b) An intake shaft, portal and access hoist;
c) Shaft rock stockpile;
d) Road and parking Lot; .
e) Powerlines and power supply boreholes to the mine;
f) Waterlines and water supply boreholes to the mine;
g) Buildings;
h) Rockdust storage and supply borehole to the mine;
i) Sedimentation control structures; and
j) Hydrological control structures.
The facility would likely be in service for the remaining Life of the
mine, which is estimated by the BLY co have a 32 year reserve of coal.
Although the exact size of the disturbance is impossible to predict at this
time, it will likely cover a significant portion of the area available
between the foots lopes in Sylvester Gulch and into side drainages on both
private and public land. The facility would be reclaimed to CDMC and
Forest Service requirements upon abandonment.