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West Elk Mine <br />Existing roads constructed prior to the mine, which provide access to monitoring stations, and other <br />existing site roads, not otherwise designated, will be utilized and maintained aslight-use roads. <br />Some existing public roads (e.g. USFS roads, etc.) aze utilized for access to monitoring sites, etc. <br />A Road Use Pemut, with annual updates as necessary, was issued by the USFS, which authorizes <br />these uses and any maintenance required. These existing roads will not be reconstructed if they do <br />not meet light-use road design standazds, unless a maintenance problem is identified, requiring a <br />design revision. The pre-existing roads located outside the mine site will not be removed or <br />restored to approximate original contour, as these roads were a part of the pre-mine site original <br />contour. <br />Department of Hirhwav Approvals <br />State Highway 133, completed with modifications in 1985, provides primary access to West Elk <br />Mine. Map 53 shows where the mine's main hauUaccess road joins the highway east of the lower <br />refuse pile. The old haul road now functions as an access road to the stack tubes and other mine <br />facilities, but was designed and may occasionally be utilized for hauling coal or coal refuse. <br />During the initial permitting of West Elk Mine, Colorado State Highway 133 was located on the <br />north side of the N. Fork of the Gunnison River. The unit train loadout facility is sited within 100 <br />feet of State Highway 133. In 1981 and eazly 1982, MCC went through the public process of <br />obtaining approval from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for siting of the <br />unit train loadout. Subsequently, CDOT approved the siting of the loadout facilities and the CDMG <br />granted the appropriate variance in accordance with Rule 2.07.6(2)(d)(iv). <br />In 1985, the CDOT relocated State Highway 133 to the south side of the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River adjacent to the surface facilities of the West Elk Mine. The mine's surface facilities <br />had been constructed beginning in 1981 and were existing at the time of CDOT's relocation of <br />State Highway 133. With the highway relocation, surface facilities were existing, and CDOT <br />relocated the highway to within 100 feet of the facilities, however, the mine was not required to <br />seek a variance for the facilities which are now within 100 feet of the highway. <br />Portions of the Lower Refuse Pile (LRP) are sited within 100 feet of the relocated State Highway <br />133. MCC applied to the CDOT for approval to conduct operations within 100 feet of State <br />Highway 133. CDOT granted approval for operations within 100 feet of State Highway 133 on <br />Apri18, 1986. <br />In 1997, MCC constructed the Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE) azea. The RPE and the associated <br />north soil storage azea aze within 100 feet of the CDOT right-of--way. MCC received approval from <br />CDOT to locate operations within this azea. This letter is included in Exhibit 70, Appendix C. <br />The West Elk Mine azea is served by the Union Pacific Railroad Company (iJP). A 6,000-foot <br />long railroad siding and a small auxiliary siding, constructed within the right-of--way of the UP <br />railroad, serves the loadout facility (owned and controlled by UP). <br /> <br />2.05-14 Revised November 2004 PRIO <br />