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6.2 AUGIItING (2.06.9) <br />• As stated in the mining plan, ZSM intends to auger the coal to <br />improve resource recovery. The auger used at the Trinidad Basin Mine <br />is a twin bit machine with each bit 27" in diameter. The auger is set <br />up at the base of the highwall and the coal is then based to a maxurnmm <br />depth of 200 feet. The miniinun rib thiclmess will be six inches, however, <br />thicker ribs may be left if so dictated by geologic wnditions and <br />operational constraints. <br />TBM requests that the recd+i*~+r~ts of 4.2.3.2(1) be lifted because <br />of the fact that both the Cass and I~1 Agua Seams have been extensively <br />underground mined. Dociarentation of the amount of coal rem7ved during <br />the underground mining campaign has been presented in prior sections. <br />Therefore, no coal *p+n~i*+~ for future underground development and the <br />• requirements of this section of 13i1e 4.2.3 should be lifted. <br />In order to mine within 500 feet of the abandoned underground <br />mines, ~ requested NSHA to allow mining win this 500 foot boundary. <br />A copy of MSHA's approval of this request is oantained in Section V. <br />~erefore, R'Br1 intends to auger within the 500 foot boundary. <br />The augering operation will not impede reclamation activities to <br />the point where the worked out cuts cannot be reclaimed within con- <br />tempora~ys reclamation criteria. Normally, it will delay backfilling <br />for a period of two to four weeks and this minor delay will not result <br />in a failure to meet contemporaneous reclamation requi.ranents. In fact, <br />as soon as the augering progresses 50-100 feet the backfilling of the <br />pit will start, because it is not required that the auger pull out of <br />the pit before backfilling cazmences. <br /> <br />VI-3 <br />