Laserfiche WebLink
Light-Use Roads <br />A gravel surfaced light-use road has been constructed around the southern and eastern perimeter of <br />the MB-2R sedimentation pond and around the base of the lower refuse pile for occasional <br />construction and maintenance equipment uses. Two short roads (approximately 150 ft. long) and <br />associated pads have been constructed from existing mine site roads to provide access: for <br />emergency repair and maintenance along the C-1 conveyor, to the water tank topsoil pile, to the <br />switchgeaz buildings above the portals, and to the powerpoles located along the west side of <br />Sylvester Gulch HauUAccess road and north of the Sylvester Gulch F-Seam fan. When these roads <br />and pads aze no longer required for operations, the roads will be graded back to approximate <br />original contour and reclaimed. The road between the ROM coal stockpile pad and the product coal <br />stockpile has been designated as a light use road. The overall grade of the road is 7.6 percent. The <br />road is surfaced with asphalt or roadbase. An existing road in the Lone Pine Gulch azea has been <br />widened and graveled as alight-use road to access the Lone Pine Gulch fan site. This road will be <br />left in place at final reclamation to allow continued access for the landowners and lessees of the <br />azea and is consistent with the approved post-mining land uses of rangeland and wildlife habitat. <br />A new light-use road to the water tank and to the Sylvester Gulch high voltage transmission line <br />was proposed to be constructed in the Spring of 1997. However, during 1997, construction of the <br />road was terminated at Landing #2 and the water tank road segment was not constructed. MCC <br />may elect to complete the construcfion of this road in the future. The road constructed, known as <br />the transmission line light-use road, supported constmcfion access and will provide future <br />maintenance access to the transmission line and support structures. Other light-use roads for the <br />Sylvester Gulch Facilities Area include the electric borehole road, the ventilation shaft #3 road, the <br />degasification borehole road, and the powerline light-use road. <br />Existing roads constructed prior to the mine site which provide access to monitoring stations and <br />other existing mine site roads not otherwise designated, will be utilized and maintained aslight-use <br />roads. Some existing public roads (e.g. U.S. Forest Service, etc.) aze utilized for access to <br />monitoring sites, etc. A Road Use pernut, with annual updates as necessary, was issued by the U.S. <br />Forest Service which authorizes these uses and any maintenance required. These existing roads are <br />not planned to be reconstructed if they do not meet light-use road design standazds, unless a <br />maintenance problem is identified, requiring a design revision. The pre-existing roads located <br />outside the mine site are not planned to be removed or restored to approximate original contour, <br />as these roads were a part of the pre-mine site original contour. <br />State Highway 133, completed in 1985, provides the main access to the West Elk Mine. Map 53 <br />shows where the mine's main haul/access road joins the highway east of the lower refuse pile. The <br />old haul road now funcfions as an access road to the stack tubes and other mine facilifies, but were <br />designed and may occasionally be utilized for hauling coal or coal refuse. <br />During the initial permitting of the 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 />2.05-25 Revised Jan 1996 RN03; Revised Nov. /996 PR07; Revised Jan. 1997 TR79; Revised Jul 1997 TR82 <br />Revised Oct. 1998 TR86; Revised Jun. 1999 TR90 <br />