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<br />No. 2 Mine operations and reclamation plans, which are contained in various sections of the <br />permit application document binders. The following summary is derived from the information <br />presented in the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application document. <br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine is a coal mine, and coal has been extracted using the room and pillar <br />mining method. Retreat mining of some of these sections has occurred. Approval of Permit <br />Revision No. 3 allowed the mining method to change to longwall mining. Mining is being <br />conducted only in the D-2 coal seam. Mining in the B-2 coal seam has not been approved. The <br />D-2 coal seam has been accessed from three (3) entries which were constructed at an elevation of <br />6880 feet above sea level. This is the elevation where the D-2 coal seam generally outcrops, <br />within the Bowie No. 2 permit area, and this elevation is approximately 800 feet above the old <br />State Highway 133. The main entries have been driven down-dip to the north, with the <br />sub-mains being driven east and west from the mains. <br />Currently, total annual coal production has been capped at about 5 million tons per year. <br />The mine facilities have been constructed near the old Bowie townsite. Construction has <br />occurred to develop haul and access roads, a conveyor belt system, mine and facility benches, <br />vent shafts, a truck loadout facility, a refuse pile, and various drainage and sediment control <br />facilities. Approval of Permit Revision No. 3 added a downhill conveyor, coal stockpile and coal <br />haul truck loading system to the facilities. In addition, the mine site entrance was relocated to the <br />east of the original entrance. Coal is currently being exported from the truck loadout facility onto <br />old State Highway 133 and, then, to the Bowie No. 1 Mine train loadout. <br />A drainage and sediment control system has been constructed. The system consists of ditches, <br />culverts, sedimentation ponds and alternate sediment control areas referred to as "small area <br />exemptions". Specific details regarding the designs for these systems are presented in Section <br />2.05, as are references to other sections of the permit application document which present <br />additional design details. <br />All available topsoil has been salvaged and stored prior to facility construction. Salvaged topsoil <br />from the facilities areas was placed in a topsoil storage pile which has a capacity of <br />approximately 270,000 cubic yards. Topsoil which was salvaged prior to the refuse pile <br />construction was stored in another pile which has an approximate storage capacity of 3, l 11 cubic <br />yards. Specific details regarding the topsoil salvage volumes are presented on Page 2.05-34 of <br />[he Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application. <br />Some surface blasting occurred during construction of the facilities. Details regarding the <br />blasting plan are presented within Section 2.05 of the permit application. <br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine is located in areas known to be subject to mass movement processes. <br />Extensive design efforts and regulatory review were implemented prior to the approval of the <br />Bowie No. 2 Mine and during the review of Permit Revision No. 3. The details regarding the <br />geotechnical aspects of the mining and reclamation plan are presented within Volume VII of the <br />permit application document. <br />16 <br /> <br />