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have negatively affected mining and rendered this seam uneconomic under past and present <br /> market conditions. <br /> Approximately 180 feet below the F Seam horizon lies the E Seam. Mining plans in the <br /> E-Seam are presented on Map 51. The E Seam in the west panels of the Apache Rocks <br /> Permit Revision area is planned to be mined prior to the B Seam panels beneath. <br /> Approximately 400 feet below the F Seam and 200 feet below the E Seam lies the B coal <br /> seam. The minable B Seam contains some areas of coal, particularly in Federal Leases <br /> C-0117192, COC-54558, and COC-56447, where no minable E Seam exists above the <br /> B Seam. Also, in a portion of C-0117192, the F Seam is mined out. In these areas, there is <br /> B Seam minable reserves which, when mined, will not significantly affect the minability of <br /> the other seams. <br /> In April 1989, an application for a technical revision for an incidental boundary change to add <br /> 35.5 acres to the permit area was submitted. The revision was for access and associated <br /> activities by way of slopes and a ventilation shaft from inside the existing F Seam workings <br /> to the B Seam. The revision also included mining in the B Seam by room and pillar, as well <br /> as longwall mining methods. The 35.5-acre incidental boundary change was necessary to <br /> accommodate the B Seam main access entries. The Division subsequently issued a proposed <br /> decision to approve the revision on July 12, 1989. <br /> In 1990, the West Elk Mine began preparations to produce coal from the B Seam. Initially, <br /> room-and-pillar mining using a continuous miner was utilized to develop panels in the <br /> B Seam, for later removal using longwall methods. The B Seam will be mined using <br /> longwall methods during this permit term. Mining in the F Seam has been discontinued, until <br /> market conditions improve so that this seam can be economically mined. <br /> No major buildings, major structures, occupied dwellings, cemeteries, parks, railroads or <br /> highways overlay the coal to be mined. Two reservoirs lie close to the F Seam outcrop; <br /> however, neither is directly over the coal to be mined. <br /> Ventilation in the mine is provided by two fans. One is located in Sylvester Gulch and the <br /> other in Lone Pine Gulch. Power to the mine is supplied via existing lines of the Delta- <br /> Montrose Electric Association. At substations located in the main mine facilities area and in <br /> Lone Pine Gulch, the power is stepped down to serve the underground mine and to serve the <br /> surface facilities. With Permit Revision No. 7, MCC proposes to construct an air intake shaft <br /> and an exhaust shaft within Sylvester Gulch. <br /> 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. <br /> Run-of-mine coal is transported from the production panels to the various surface facilities by <br /> a system of belt conveyors. A conveyor carries coal from inside the mine portal to the <br /> stacking tubes. From the stacking tubes, an underground conveyor reclaim system will <br /> transport the coal to the two crushers. A conveyor then moves the coal from the crushers to <br /> the two storage silos. A stacktube located to the east of the silos provides additional storage <br /> 15 <br />