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Description of the Mine Operation Plan <br />Sizes of Permit Area, Disturbed Area, and Production Volumes <br />The permit area covers approximately 10,382 acres. Since mining began, cumulative disturbance <br />will total 5023.7 acres by the end of this permit term (2007). New disturbance during the years <br />2003 through 2007 will be approximately 332 acres. Total cumulative production over the life of <br />Trapper mine is projected to be a maximum of 74 million tons. The projected overall life of the <br />mine is thirty five years with mining ceasing in 2013. <br />Mining Method <br />Coal is mined at the Trapper mine using surface mining methods. Draglines are used to remove <br />overburden and interburden, while font-end loaders and haul trucks are used to remove the coal <br />seams. Historically Trapper Mining, Inc. has oriented the pits north-south parallel to the <br />downhill dip of the coal seams. PROS proposes to reorient pits G, F and Z (East F-Pit) pazallel <br />with the strike of the coal seams in an east-west direction. Strike line pits will progress from <br />north to south. Each successive pit cut is next to and pazallel to the previous cut. When more <br />than one seam is recovered in a pit, partings are removed by dozer, or backhoe, or similar <br />equipment if thin; or by dragline, if thick. <br />Strip Pits <br />Trapper will mine coal from the following three pits during the 2003-2007 permit term: East F <br />(Z), F (Flintlock), and G-strikeline (Gatling). Pits advance generally southward. Individual cuts <br />in pits are as much 6,000 ft. long. The maximum width of a cut is 200 ft. In 2002 D-Pit <br />progressed to the point that it merged with E-Pit. This combination DIE-Pit is approved for ash <br />disposal. A (Ashmore) pit remains open for ash disposal (see description of ash disposal below). <br />Removal of Topsoil and Overburden <br />Prior to disturbance, and in advance of the pits, brush is cleazed and topsoil is removed and <br />salvaged. Topsoil is stockpiled only if alive-haul replacement azea is not available in the azea. <br />If stockpiled, piles are shaped and seeded to establish vegetation for protection from wind and <br />water erosion. After topsoil removal, the overburden is drilled and blasted in advance of the pit. <br />Overburden is then stripped by draglines, scrapers, or bulldozers. Finally, front-end loaders load <br />coal into 90-ton haul trucks, which deliver the raw coal to the Craig Power Plant. <br />Trapper Mine 13 June 30, 2003 <br />