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I • During overburden removal operations, some selective handling of material will be performed based <br />on chemical and physical core data contained in Section 2.04.6, Geology Description, and <br />discussions presented in Section 2.05.4(2)(d), Topsoil (Redistribution). <br />After the upper coal seam is removed the parting material, compceed of altemating layers of <br />sandstone, shale or clay, sometimes altemating, will tie removed. Partings and interburden material <br />may range in thickness from a few tenths of a foot to over 20 feet. The thinner partings will be <br />removed by loader or dozer and hauled or pushed into an adjacent mined out pit. The thicker <br />partings and interburden will be dozed into a mined out pit or excavated by the shovel and trucks <br />and hauled to a mined out pit. <br />After the overburden or parting has been removed above each individual coal seam, a dozer, loader <br />or motor grader will clean off any overburden or parting material remaining on top of the coal. In <br />order to facilitate handling of the coal, a dozer v~ill rip or break up the coal. Contract haulage trucks <br />of approximately 25 ton capacity are loaded by a wheel loader. Once a truck is loaded, the coal is <br />transported approximately six miles to the power station. Table 2.05.2-1 lists the major mining <br />equipment to be used at the New Horizon Mine. <br />The estimated coal tonnage, overburden and parting volumes to be extracted and corresponding <br />swelled volumes for all mining areas are presented on Table 2.05.2-2. <br />Mining began in 1993 and will carry on through at least to 2014. The coal quantities required from <br />the New Horizon Mine under Western Fuels-Colorado's contract to supply Tri-State Generating and <br />Transmission Associations' Nucla Station are estimated to be from 320, 000 to 400,000 tons per year. <br />For purposes of this permit application, the maximum rate of 400,000 tons per year was assumed <br />for years after 1997, but the coal and associated overburden quantities could be less. Whenever <br />possible overburden stripping and coal loading will be sequenced to maintain an in-pit inventory of <br />approximately one month's coal requirements. Additionally, overburden stripping and coal loading <br />will be sequenced to allow blending of coal in the pit to enable delivery of relatively uniform quality <br />coal to the power plant. <br />Coal Processing and Non-Coal Processing Wastes <br />• to-~ass> 2.05.2-2 <br />