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permanent refuse pile called the Refuse Pile Expansion area (RPE). This is a 20-acre site to the <br /> east of the Lower Refuse Disposal Area and east of Sylvester Gulch. The original disposal <br /> area, referred to as the Lower Refuse Pile, remains across Sylvvester Gulch from the RPE. <br /> The level area on top is used as an equipment lay-down area and the slopes have been topsoiled <br /> and seeded. An Upper Refuse Disposal Area has also been approved for construction, and has <br /> not been built. Before the pile can be constructed, MCC must address a stipulation #7. <br /> State Highway 133 provides the main access to the West Elk Mine. A haul road joins the <br /> highway east of the Lower Refuse Pile and serves as the access to all facilities except the silo <br /> storage area. An old haul road accesses this area and other lower mine facilities, which is now <br /> considered an access road. Other access roads include the Sylvester Gulch substation access <br /> road, the portal access road and the materials storage bench access road road. The Lone Pine <br /> Gulch road has been designated as a light-use road and provides access to a ventilation fan. <br /> Surface runoff from the disturbed area is treated by eight ponds. MB-1 is a large upper pond <br /> that holds mine discharge water and drainage from the upper areas of the site including the <br /> mine bench. MB-2R is the large lower pond which treats drainage from a majority of the site, <br /> including the Lower Refuse Pile. MB-3 is a small lower pond which treats drainage from the <br /> silo storage area. MB-4 serves the train loadout area and MB-5 treats drainage at the old Bear <br /> Mine site. Sediment control pond SG-1 is located within Sylvester Gulch to treat runoff from <br /> the disturbed area associated with ventialtion shafts. The RPE pond treats runoff from the <br /> Refuse Pile Expansion area and the NSSA pond treats runoff from the North Soil Storage <br /> Area. Mountain Coal Company also has a freshwater pond, designated FW-I, which provides <br /> two months' storage capacity for potable and domestic water uses. Another proposed <br /> freshwater pond, FW-2, has not been constructed at this time and is not planned for <br /> construction during this permit term. <br /> Topsoil storage areas are located on the east side of the surface facilities. The main topsoil <br /> stockpile, located on the west side of the facilities area, will be used during reclamation to <br /> cover the majority of the disturbance to a depth of 12 to 18 inches. Other topsoil piles are <br /> located near the materials storage bench, above the potable water tank, near the Sylvester <br /> Gulch substation, on the dewatering pad, above the ventilation shafts and on the north side of <br /> Highway 133. Subsoil piles are located to the South of the Lower Refuse Pile and near the <br /> Sylvester Gulch substation. There are also small topsoil stockpiles located near power poles in <br /> Sylvester Gulch. <br /> The suboil pile to the south of the Lower Refuse Pile and one of the topsoil stockpiles at the <br /> North Soil Storage Area will be used to complete the reclamation on the Lower Refuse Pile. <br /> The other topsoil pile at the north soil storage area will be used for reclamation of the Refuse <br /> Pile Expansion area. <br /> The permit area covers approximately 9583 acres. Of this total, about 211 acres are disturbed, <br /> which primarily includes surface facilities. Permit Revision No. 8, proposes adding 1743 <br /> acres of which 1543 is federal, 200 private. <br /> 18 <br />