GENERAL50821 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Alternatives development and implementation of a mine ventilation plan requires several steps as outlined below: Conceptual mine plans are developed to recover the mineable coal deposit. Ventilation layouts are then applied to the mine plans and are used to help distinguish the most feasible plan to meet the following criteria: Provide for the health and safety of all miners; Comply with the Federal Coal Mine Safety Standards (30 CFR Part 75). The Department of Labor is charged with enforcing these laws/standards. MSHA represents the Department of Labor in the field by physically inspecting each mine; and Provide ventilation for the safe production of coal in today's competitive market place. Ventilation engineering firms develop computer models of the mine ventilation system based on exiting mine ventilation to project ventilation needs for proposed future mining. The projected ventilation plan is taken to MSHA for preliminary discussion. Several meetings with MSHA usually result in a plan ready for submittal. MSHA reviews the submitted plan and can either reject it or approve it. Once MSHA approves a plan the contents of that plan become part of the "Standards" (30 CFR Part 75) that MSHA enforces as the mining takes place. The approved ventilation plan changes as the mining advances and each change has to be submitted to MSHA for review and approval before it can be implemented. Given the prior experience with effective methane drainage at the West Elk Mine, it is anticipated that a MDW would be needed every 750 feet along each longwall panel in order to meet MSHA approval requirements for the mine ventilation plan. Based on the mine plan configuration with panels extending under portions of the IRA, ventilation plan requirements convey the need to place MDWs and access roads to them in the IRA. The proposed action has been designed to use directional drilling to the maximum extent possible. However, this is limited by the thickness of overburden (or amount of rock) overlying the E seam. This limited thickness of overburden precludes the ability to drill exclusively from outside the IRA boundaries and hit the MDW targets needed in the ventilation plan. Although use of directional drilling opportunities has been used as much as possible, in places the overburden is not thick enough for directional drilling either from outside the IRA to be practical or possible, therefore some of the operations and hence road construction, would be placed in the IRA. Reclamation A plan for reclamation would be submitted through the DRMS permitting process and reviewed by the Forest Service. These plans would be consistent with State requirements, identified post-mining land uses consistent with Forest Plan direction, and incorporate any specific reclamation goals identified in this analysis. Goals of the plan, consistent with DRMS and FS standards include slope stabilization and naturalization; sedimentation and siltation control to protect water quality of near-by surface waters; and meeting requirements to restore roadless character; return soil productivity as much as possible; and restore vegetative vigor, health, species composition and diversity to support post- mining land uses and Forest Plan goals. Reclamation of MDW sites and roads would be contemporaneous with construction when facilities are no longer needed for mine operations in that panel except for life of mine roads. Design Criteria The Forest Service also developed the following design criteria measures (Table 2-2) to be used as part of the action alternative. i Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS 21