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600 million cubic feet of storage in the East Mine District (only assumes a 30 foot height in the gob area <br />• and permeability of 25 percent). <br />The source of hydraulic transport medium will be water from the thickener underllow. The water/solids <br />mixture will be piped from the wash plant through a 4" FIDPE pipeline underground for 1,800 feet to the <br />old 4"mine water borehole, see Map 24 for location of pipelines. The borehole pipe will then be connected <br />to a 4" aluminum pipe on the mine floor for the remaining 5,000 feet to the mine gob seal. The pipe will be <br />connected to the existing drainpipe at the seal where it will flow onto the mine floor behind the seals (gob <br />side) and to the bottom of the gob area, Map 23 shows the area which will receive the underflow material. <br />The water/ solids mixture will be pumped behind the seals where the fines will settle out and the water will <br />travel to the submersible pump for dewatering back to the surface. The water is retained by the coal barrier <br />as shown on the underground mine workings map. <br />The retaining wall for this refuse storage area is a minimum 250-foot wide coal barrier between the EMD <br />and the Northern Mining District. This barrier currently holds mine inflow water and contains a <br />submersible pump at the low point for mine dewatering. This pump will be used to recycle water back to <br />the surface for wash plant make-up water, recycled underground for dust suppression, or discharged <br />directly into Foidel Creek. TCC understands that before this water can be discharged directly into Foidel <br />Creek its existing discharge permit will have to be amended to allow for this activity. <br />The water recycling/discharging system will require minor changes to the present water distribution <br />system. Water pumped from the mine exits the mine at site 109. From this point the water will be piped <br />over to the old pit where it will have time to settle and aerate. A pump station will be installed towards the <br />south end of the old pit. This will involve burying forty-foot beams under the road and extending them over <br />• the pit. The beams may be placed in concrete if additional weight is required to act as acounter-balance. A <br />platform will be constructed on the beams extending over the pit. A submersible pump, along with hosing <br />and piping, will be suspended from the platform into [he pi[. A winch will be installed on the platform to <br />assist in setting the pump at the prescribed elevation. <br />The water pumped from the pit can go in one of three directions, or a combination of them. The directions <br />are as follows: 1) pit to Prep Plant, 2) pit to mine water recycling line, and/or 3) discharge to Foidel Creek. <br />The water pumped from the pit will piped over to a de-sander, which will be located at an old well site, <br />from this point it will be piped to the Prep Plant or piped over and tied into the existing mine water line. A <br />line will be installed from the de-sander back to the pit so that the back flush water can be returned to the <br />pit. The location of the lines is shown on Map 24, which also indicates where the trenches will be <br />excavated for placement of the lines. The trenches will be dug with a backhoe or trackhoe, and during the <br />excavating process suitable plant growth media will be removed and set to the side so that it can placed on <br />top of [he subsoils returned to the trench. <br />In reference to pumping directly into Foidel Creek, TCC will keep the water level in the pit thirty feet <br />below the top of the high wall. The existing water in the pit will be pumped down to that level so that <br />adequate storage is available to contain spring runoff in addition to the flow from site 19. By maintaining <br />the water level below the thirty foot level a buffer is provided for "isolating" water pumped from site 109 <br />into the pit. The plan is to pump water from site 109 into the pit and then water would be pumped out of the <br />pit and either recycled to the Prep Plant or discharged directly into Foidel Creek. The pumping rate from <br />the pond will typically exceed that coming from site 109. The ability to discharge directly into Foidel <br />Creek will be dictated by water quality in Trout Creek and the status of the Fish Creek Borehole. <br />The pump will require the installation of a transformer, concrete pad, and grounding bed. This installation <br />• will be in a disturbed area; therefore, no topsoil salvaging will occur. The pad will be approximately 6' x 7' <br />x 1'. A powerline, approximately 350' in length, and requiring two power poles, will be constructed from <br />an existing line to this new location. <br />TR 01-39 2.05-97.2 09/17/01 <br />