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West Elk Mine <br />• A 72-inch belt conveyor carries coal from the storage silos to the over-the-track loadout. This <br />conveyor has a capacity of 6,000 tons per hour and runs at a speed of 850 feet per minute. Total <br />length is approximately 600 feet. The conveyor is covered by a semi-circulaz corrugated <br />galvanized metal cover. The portion of the conveyor that crosses the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River is completely enclosed. Primary and secondary walkways were constructed <br />along the conveyor. The conveyor structure is steel. <br />Construction of three stacking tubes and an underground conveyor reclaim system was begun <br />during 1991 and became operational in July of 1992. The approximately 100,000 to 120,000 <br />tons of run-of--mine coal storage provided by these tubes is needed to handle the higher longwall <br />production volumes. The storage azea will be expanded by moving a portion of the main topsoil <br />stockpile to the south, creating an additiona160,000 to 88,000 tons of coal storage azea. Run-of- <br />mine coal is fed directly to these tubes. Bulldozers push the coal into the hoppers feeding the <br />underground reclaim system and into the crusher. The stacking tube facility consists of three <br />stacking tubes ranging in height from 91 to 94 feet and are constructed of reinforced concrete. <br />On top of each stack tube is a transfer structure. The transfer structures aze approximately 38 <br />feet tall, open steel structures. The facility also includes a 60 foot tall feed conveyor drive tower <br />and a 42 foot high crusher building. Both of these aze open steel structures. An as-built <br />construction description is provided in Exhibit 68. <br />Construction of a screening facility was begun in 1992 and became operational in February of <br />1993. The facility is used to sepazate over-sized material (typically consisting of rock) from the <br />product-sized coal. The screening facility consists of an open steel structure with a maximum <br />height of 84 feet and three associated conveyors. A 1,500 tons per hour high-angle conveyor <br />transfers material to the screening plant from the crusher, product-sized coal is transported to the <br />silo conveyor belt on a 1,500 tons per hour conveyor and a 300 tons per hour high-angle <br />conveyor transports over-sized material to the rotary breaker. An as-built construction <br />description is provided in Exhibit 68. <br />Two silos provide temporary storage for product coal. These silos provide the storage capacity <br />needed to accommodate MCC's production schedules and use of unit trains for shipping product <br />coal from West Elk Mine. The reinforced concrete silos provide about 24,000 tons of product <br />coal storage capacity. The silos were designed to reduce the hazard of spontaneous combustion <br />by minimizing dead storage azeas within the silo compartments. <br />A 48-inch width conveyor belt will transport crushed coal from the top of Silo No. 2 to the stack- <br />tube. This stack-tube will be approximately 106 feet in height and will be constructed similazly <br />to the run-of--mine coal stack-tubes. The transfer structure on the top and the reclaim tunnel and <br />conveyor belt underneath the azea will also be similar in construction to the run-of--mine coal <br />stack-tube facilities. A dozer trap and reclaim system to be located just west of the silos will <br />similarly be constructed, as well. <br />MCC uses apre-weigh, over-the-track type of loadout facility at West Elk Mine. In this facility, <br />a surge bin receives the coal from the loadout conveyor. The coal is then transferred to a weigh <br />• bin. Finally, the weigh bin drops a measured amount of coal into a railroad car via a chute. The <br />capacity of this system is 6,000 tons per hour. Two, double-walled (self-contained secondary <br />2.05-3 8 Revised November 2004 PRI G <br />