2000-09-25_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981022

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The general area in which the Sanbom Creek Mine is located is characterized by steeply sloping mountains covered either with tall shrub vegetation dominated by oakbrush and serviceberry, or stands of pinon and juniper trees. Drainages in the area are lined with riparian vegetation communities along the stream banks. Some of the more level areas have been cleared and support limited livestock grazing; however, for the most pazt, the surrounding land is undeveloped and is used primarily as wildlife habitat. Recreational activities such as big game hunting, trapping, fishing, and off-road driving also occur in the general area. The portal facilities area near the confluence of Elk Creek and the North Fork is located at the contact of the alluvium of the North Fork and steep upland sedimentary formations. Sanborn Creek Tract portal facilities are just east of Sanbom Creek or approximately one mile east of the town of Somerset. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan The Somerset Mine, now the Sanborn Creek Mine, has been in operation since 1902. Operations have evolved from the earlier hand method of mining, to continuous mining methods, and, finally, to iongwall mining. The conventional room and pillar mining system used continuous miners, shuttle cars, conveyors and/or rail cars. All coal was moved to the surface using rail cazs. Approximately 12 to 14 feet of the B seam were mined in the development and retreat cycle. Annual production in the mine was approximately 900,000 tons per year. Once at the surface, the rail cars dumped the coal at the dump station where it was conveyed to the tipple. The coal was crushed at the tipple then conveyed to the coal storage silo. The silo, a cylindrical cement structure, straddles the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad track and loads unit trains. The Sanborn Creek addition to the Somerset Mine, now the Sanborn Creek Mine, is located approximately one mile east of the town of Somerset. Initially, this part of the mine was developed and mined using conventional room and pillar techniques with the same conventional equipment as previously discussed, except that conveyors were used in place of rail cars. Annual production of this part of the mine was projected to be about 750,000 tons per year. Upon opening the portals, coal was first trucked to the tipple at the Elk Creek yazd. A conveyor system was built while developing the first part of the Sanbom Creek addition. The conveyor system was used instead of haul trucks to convey coal from the Sanbom Creek portals to the tipple at the Elk Creek yard. The Sanbom Creek East Tract and the East Tract modification, are located adjacent to the original Sanborn Creek addition on the eastern boundary and is an underground continuation of the Sanbom workings. No additional surface disturbance was required. Method of operations 9