GENERAL49925 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Extensive research of this site was the mitigative measure required by the BLM, and the site has since been destroyed by subsidence and subsequent rockfall. Pre-mining and post-mining land uses within the proposed permit area are pastureland, and rangeland. Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans The Foidel Creek Mine was originally permitted as an underground operation employing room and pillar mining on privately owned coal within a 924 acre permit area. TCC referred to the original permit as a pilot project designed to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of underground mining operations on the Wadge coal seam, which was previously surface mined in the portal area, and on dip slopes to the south and southwest by TCC's sister company, CYCC. Existing surface disturbance along Foidel Creek at the main mine facility area consists of portals, surface support facilities, office, low-quality coal stockpiles, a processing waste pile, conveyors, tipple and batch weigh loadout facility, ROM coal stockpile, rock dust tank, explosives magazine, rail spur, and sediment control ditches and ponds. A large area of the main facility area was within a disturbed area called the Area 2 pit within the CYCC permit No. C-81-071. Since the completion of mining associated with the No. C-81-071 permit, all pertinent facilities have been transferred to the Foidel Creek mine permit. The Life of Mine (LOM) permit revision (PR-Ol) application was approved in 1986 to expand the project into a 35-year mining operation utilizing both room and pillar and longwall techniques, with a peak production of approximately 3.5 million tons per year. Permit Revision No. 2, (PR-02), Southwest Mining District, was approved with stipulations on February 17, 1993. PR-02 approved mining and subsidence in Panels 7, 8, and 9 of the SW mining district. Permit Revision No. 3 approved mining in the Eastern Mining District of Gateroads 11 Right through 5 Right, construction of the Southwest Development Mains, and extraction of Longwall panels 9 Right through 7 Right. Extraction of 10,000;000 Tons/year was approved under Technical Revision No. 28, in 1997. Upon cessation of mining activities, all surface disturbance will be reclaimed. Surface facilities will be removed. The portal area, Area 2 pit and the waste disposal site will be backfilled with previously mined spoils existing within areas adjoining the old Energy No. 1 pit. All surface disturbance will be regraded to approximate original contour. Topsoil from existing and proposed topsoil stockpiles will be redistributed over the entire disturbed area to depths 0.7 feet to 0.8 feet as depicted on Map 29 of the permit application, with the exception of those piles which are dedicated to specific areas from which it was removed. Re- seeding and revegetation will occur following topsoil laydown operations. Reclamation success will be determined by statistically comparing the reclaimed areas to reference areas, except at the Fish Creek Tipple, which was constructed prior to implementation of the current laws and regulations.