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Explosives at the mine are only occasionally used for underground construction purposes. <br /> Very little explosives are required for this purpose. West Elk does have an explosives <br /> magazine located on site. <br /> The West Elk Mine portals are situated at an approximate elevation of 6,450 feet. Run-of-mine <br /> coal is transported from the production panels to the various surface facilities by a system of <br /> belt conveyors. A conveyor carries coal from inside the mine portal to the stacking tubes. <br /> From the stacking tubes, an underground conveyor reclaim system will transport the coal to <br /> the two crushers. A conveyor then moves the coal from the crushers to the two storage silos. <br /> A stacktube located to the east of the silos provides additional storage for product coal. A <br /> loadout conveyor carries coal from the storage silos to the over-the-track loadout. A portion of <br /> this conveyor is completely enclosed as it crosses the North Fork of the Gunnison River and <br /> Highway 133. Coal is primarily shipped from the West Elk Mine by rail; however, some coal <br /> is trucked from the mine or transferred to various handling or stockpile facilities on the mine <br /> site. <br /> Refuse at the mine is generated during underground construction activities and mining. Other <br /> sources of refuse material are contaminated coal spillage, sediment pond dredgings, and soils <br /> contaminated with non-hazardous materials. These other sources of refuse only make up a <br /> small amount of the refuse produced at the mine. Refuse is currently being disposed onto a <br /> permanent refuse pile called the Refuse Pile Expansion area (RPE). This is a 20-acre site to the <br /> east of the Lower Refuse Disposal Area and east of Sylvester Gulch. The original disposal <br /> area, referred to as the Lower Refuse Pile, remains across Sylvvester Gulch from the RPE. <br /> The level area on top is used as an equipment lay-down area and the slopes have been topsoiled <br /> and seeded. An Upper Refuse Disposal Area has also been approved for construction, and has <br /> not been built. Even though it appears that this pile will not be needed, before the pile can be <br /> constructed, MCC must address a stipulation #7. <br /> State Highway 133 provides the main access to the West Elk Mine. A haul road joins the <br /> highway east of the lower refuse pile and serves as the access to all facilities except the silo <br /> storage area. An old haul road accesses this area and other lower mine facilities, which is now <br /> considered an access road. Other access roads include the middle-mine facilities road and the <br /> Sylvester Gulch fan road. The Lone Pine Gulch road has been designated as a light-use road <br /> and provides access to a ventilation fan. <br /> Surface runoff from the disturbed area is treated by eight ponds and a number of small area <br /> exemptions (SAES). MB-1 is a large upper pond that holds mine discharge water and drainage <br /> from the upper areas of the site including the mine bench. MB-2R is the large lower pond <br /> which treats drainage from a majority of the site, including the lower refuse pile. MB-3 is a <br /> small lower pond which treats drainage from the silo storage area. MB-4 serves the train <br /> loadout area and MB-5 treats drainage at the old Bear Mine site. Sediment control pond SG-1 <br /> is located within Sylvester Gulch to treat runoff from the disturbed area associated with <br /> ventialtion shafts. Mountain Coal Company also has a freshwater pond, designated FW-1, <br /> which provides two months' storage capacity for potable and domestic water uses. Another <br /> proposed freshwater pond, FW-2, has not been constructed at this time and is not planned for <br /> construction during this permit term. <br /> 20 <br />