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Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The Deserado Mine is an underground operation utilizing both continuous miners and <br />longwall mining equipment to extract the "D" (upper) and "B" (lower) coal seams. Mining <br />operations conducted during the present term will extract the D seam in the northeast portion <br />of the permit area. B seam mining is projected to commence in 2005. <br />Raw coal is transported out of the mine by conveyor to the D-Portal Area wash plant where <br />the coal is crushed and cleaned. The coal is then transported 3.1 miles to the rail loadout <br />facility via anover-land conveyor system. The coal is conveyed to the slot storage building, <br />which can store up to 40,000 tons of coal. From this building coal is conveyed one third of <br />one mile to the loadout area. Clean coal is then transported by rail to the Bonanza Power <br />Plant in Vernal, Utah. <br />Coal processing waste generated at the wash plant facility is trucked approximately 3.6 miles <br />to the refuse disposal area located east of the rail loadout in the northeast portion of the <br />permit area. The refuse disposal area includes eleven subareas of refuse deposition. The <br />first subarea was reclaimed in late 1990, implementing a revegetation study that involved <br />variations from the required four feet of cover. Refuse areas 2-3 and 4 are active, refuse <br />area SA is currently under construction, and the remaining subareas have yet to be <br />developed. Noncoal solid wastes are disposed of at the Halandras dump in the northwest <br />portion of the permit area. The fu•st six pits of that dump have been reclaimed, and pits 7 <br />and 8 are active. <br />With the exception of the refuse and landfill areas and degas well pads, surface area <br />disturbance will not be reclaimed until all mining has ceased. Mine related surface <br />disturbances to be reclaimed at that time include the D-Portal area facilities, water storage <br />area, overland conveyors, slot storage area, loadout area, east intake ventilation area, and the <br />alluvial well field at Scullion Gulch. All access roads in the permit area will be reclaimed, <br />County Road 65 and a portion of the refuse area haul road extending south to County Road <br />65 being exceptions. With the exception of the D-Portal area sediment pond (DP-1), all <br />sediment ponds controlling runoff from various surface facilities will be retained until <br />vegetation on reclaimed areas is sufficient to control erosion. The D-Portal pond will be t <br />removed at the time of stnrctural demolition and regrading of the facilities area. <br />Reclamation of all surface disturbances will involve the sealing of all portals, the removal of <br />all surface structures, backfilling to approximate original contour, reestablishment of <br />disturbed drainage patterns, replacement of topsoil on regraded areas and the seeding and <br />mulching of those topsoiled areas. Seeded areas may be fertilized based on evaluation of <br />specific fertility tests of topsoiled areas. <br />5 <br />