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Both seams would be mined by underground '_ongwall mining methods. • <br />Continuous miner units and shuttle cars would be used as the means of <br />development extraction, with a belt conveyor for transportation of the coal <br />to the surface. Coal vould be transported by conveyor from the portal to <br />the rail loadout located on private lands off Highway 133 east of Somerset. <br />Surface Use <br />To develop and extract the coal contained in the Box Canyon lease <br />tract, the lessee would need to construct certain surface facilities to <br />provide a safe work place for miners, and efficiently extract and transport <br />the coal. The location of these facilities is dependent an the lessee <br />awarded the tract. Should an operator which is not established in the area <br />be awarded the lease, a rail load out and storage facility _ould be <br />required, which would likely be located in the northern por=ion of the <br />lease, along Highway L33. However, should Mountain Coal Company be the <br />successful bidder, it is likely the existing rail load out facility would <br />be utilized, minimizing the total surface disturbance. Within the lease <br />tract, disturbances on the National Forest System and B1M surface would <br />likely include (but no*_ limited to): <br />Main Ventilation Facility <br />The lessee would need co construct a main ventilation shaft on <br />National Fozesc System land to safely and efficiently extract the coal. <br />Due to the topography of the area and the fact chat the "E"'seam is of <br />mineable thickness only on the western boundary of the lease tract, it is <br />anticipated that this facility would need co be located in the Sylvester <br />Gulch area. There relatively low overburden and suitable gradients allow <br />access to both seams within the same facility. Access from the current <br />facility is possible, but unlikely, due to the old workings of the Oliver <br />rt2 mine and thinning .if the "E" seam in that portion of the lease. This <br />facility would probably consist of the following: <br />a) Amain exhaust shaft and fan; <br />b) An intake shaft, portal and access hoist; <br />c) Shaft rock stockpile; <br />d) Road and parking lot; <br />e) Powerlines and power supply boreholes to the mine; <br />f) Waterlines and water supply boreholes to the mine; <br />g) Buildings; <br />h) Rockdusc storage and supply borehole to the mine; <br />i) Sedimentation control structures; and <br />j) Hydrological control structures. <br />The facility would likely be in service for the remaining life of the <br />mine, which is estimated by the BL`t co have a 32 year reserve of coal. <br />Although the exact size of the disturbance is impossible to predict at this <br />time, it will likely cover a significant portion of the area available <br />between the footslopes in Sylvester Cu1ch and into side drainages on bath <br />private and public Land. The Facility would be reclaimed to CDMG and <br />Forest Service requirements upon abandorunenc. <br />• <br /> <br /> <br />