Laserfiche WebLink
i. <br />follows the single-seam operation approximately one year behind mining with <br />total recoverable coal reserves in Section 11 estimated to be 3.6 million <br />tons. <br />West Pit <br />A new, large, multi-seam West Pit is <br />Pit, and this pit will mine the same <br />this pit will advance from north to <br />adjacent East Pit. <br />proposed to the west of the existing East <br />coal seams as the East Pit. Mining in <br />south, paralleling the movement of the <br />Mining of the West Pit will proceed in a manner similar to that of the East <br />Pit. Initial box-cut material of the West Pit will be placed in the West Pit <br />permanent excess spoil fill. Projected life of the West Pit is estimated to <br />be eighteen years. <br />Section 16 Pit <br />The Section 16 Pit is a new pit proposed to be located south of the East and <br />West Pits. The northern boundary of the Section 16 Pit will merge with these <br />two south-trending pits. <br />Mining of the Section 16 Pit will be of the "X" coal seam only and will <br />progress from both the east and west, converging onto a central north-south <br />trending ridge. This central ridge will be left intact for use in final <br />backfilling and grading of the proposed West Pit. Initial box-cut material <br />for the Section 16 Pit will be placed in the Section 16 permanent excess spoil <br />fill. <br />The projected life of the Section 16 Pit is estimated to be four years. <br />Coal Production <br />Extraction of coal is projected to continue until the year 2010. Coal <br />production is estimated to be 5.0 million tons per year for the next five-year <br />period and subsequent years. Production in 1990 was estimated to be 4.1 <br />million tons. Maximum coal production is proposed to increase from 4.5 to 5.0 <br />million tons per year. <br />Recovered coal is trucked to a primary crusher and coal stockpile located just <br />north of the East Pit. From there coal is trucked to a secondary crusher and <br />coal stockpile located approximately four miles north at the Gossard Loadout. <br />Stoker coal is crushed, stored and loaded separately from other coal at the <br />Loadout. Both types of coal are shipped to customers by rail. <br />Reclamation Plan <br />The reclamation plan for Colowyo is found in Sections 2.05.4 and 2.05.5 of the <br />permit application. A partial summary of this plan is given here. For a more <br />complete summary and references to specific portions of the permit <br />application, see Section B of this document. <br />-8- <br />