1997-12-10_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981041

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Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans The general description of mine operations can be found in Tab 12 of the application. According to PR-02 projections, a total of 1050 acres may be affected during the current permit term. In the period 1974 - 1992, a total of 1,887 acres were affected in conjunction with underground mining activities. The area presently disturbed by surface facilities is 369 acres. There are no plans to disturb any further acreage, with the exception of the construction of Cameo Refuse Disposal Area No. 3, which will disturb approximately 48 acres. Room-and-pillar mining methods are to be used in recovering the mineable coal reserves within the permit area. The maximum anticipated annual production from the permit area is 2.4 million tons of raw coal, and up to 1.4 million tons of cleaned coal. The coal seam to be mined is the Cameo 'B" seam, which varies from four feet in thickness to a maximum of 1 I feet. Room-and-pillar panels will be typically developed using three to six entries. Major equipment at the mine will include continuous miners, shuttle cars, roof bolters, shearers, hydraulic shields, and belt conveyors. Rooms will be driven from submains a distance of approximately 440 feet from the centerline of the submains. The entries are 18 to 20 feet wide. Pillars will be developed on 100-foot by 100-foot centers for all mains and 60-foot by 100- foot centers for all submains. Raw coal is transported by conveyor from the Roadside South Portal to the wash plant at the South Portals facility area. Raw coal from the North Portals is transported by truck to the wash plant. The wash plant separates waste rock from the clean coal. Clean coal is transported by conveyor 1.3 miles from the wash plant to the rail loadout. The coal processing waste from the wash plant is trucked to Cameo Refuse Disposal Antis No. 1 or No.2, located west of the North Portal facilities in Coal Canyon. One additional refuse disposal area, Cameo Refuse Disposal Area No. 3, is planned to be constructed west of the existing disposal areas, further up Coal Canyon. CRDA No. 3 is not expected to be built during the 1993-1998 five-year permit term. Sediment Control System All surface runoff from disturbed areas is primarily routed through one of ten sediment ponds to prevent additional contributions of sediment to streamflow or runoff outside the permit area due to mining disturbances. Alternative sediment controls are utilized at a number of approved small area exemption sites. Water Consumption Water usage at the site is from consumption in the mines, in the coal preparation plant, and in the surface facilities. Consumptive use will be monitored and results included in the Annual Hydrology Report(AHR). Some of the water from the Roadside South Portal is pumped out to a surface storage tank and is then used in the processing plant. Mine Water Discharge In addition to water discharged from sediment ponds,water is discharged from underground workings at four locations. All waters discharged from either sediment ponds or underground workings pass to the Colorado River after treatment. For additional information on these discharges, see Section CAL of this document. 15