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West Elk Mine rock storage azea (maintenance shop bench), but all refuse or waste was removed before construction of the earthen fill to make a pad for the shop. Coal refuse is transported from the mine on the run-of--mine belt and/or is hauled with equipment out of the main portal. This refuse may be temporarily stockpiled in the screening plant reject bin or on the stacktube bench, and on the portal bench or in the nearby concrete bunkers, respectively. The amount of coal refuse produced is variable. The refuse material which accumulates in the temporary storage areas, is hauled by truck to the permanent refuse disposal azea. Three permanent refuse disposal areas and one development waste pile are permitted at the West Elk Mine. Initially, refuse was temporarily stockpiled in an azea formerly called the U.S. Steel laydown azea. This azea has been enlarged and converted to a permanent refuse pile called the Lower Refuse Disposal Area or Lower Refuse Pile (LRP). A permanent refuse pile is also perntted for the meadow above the portal bench. This azea is referred to as the Upper Refuse Disposal Area (URDA). Although this upper refuse disposal area has been approved for construction, it is not yet needed. Thus, construcfion of the Upper Refuse Disposal Area will occur in the future, if needed. All construction information about these two disposal azeas is contained in Exhibit 50 (URDA) and Exhibit 51 (LRP). As MCC believed that the Lower Refuse Pile would reach its maximum storage capacity in 1997 (and before completing construction of the ventilation shafts in Sylvester Gulch), a third refixse disposal azea was designed. The Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE) azea was designed and prepared to the east of the Lower Refuse Pile and east of Sylvester Gulch. As described in Exhibit 51, refuse disposal at the LRP has been temporarily inactivated before reaching the maximum designed storage capacity, because all refuse disposal is being handled in the RPE azea (as of October 1998). The design information and baseline data for the RPE azea aze contained in Exhibit 70. The Lone Pine Gulch Development Waste Pile was designed to contain approximately 17,000 cubic yazds of material generated from the development of the Lone Pine Gulch fan intake and return entries. Designs for this pile aze contained in Exhibit 42A. The pile is currently in final reclamation. It was convered with subsoil and topsoil and seeded in the fall of 1995. Although most of the refuse material generated at the West Elk Mine will end up in the waste disposal azeas, some non-coal waste may be disposed of in one of two other ways. First, some non- combustible materials may be placed in abandoned F-Seam workings. Second, suitable materials may be crushed and used for graveling roadways in the mine. Overall, relatively tittle material will be disposed of using these alternate methods. All disposal azeas and the development waste pile were designed and aze maintained according to CMLRB regulafions. They aze not located neaz underground mine air shafts, tipples, or other surface installations. The Lower Refuse Disposal Area has a sign posted with the assigned MSHA identification number and other necessary information. hi addition, the sign is at least six feet above the ground or waste surface and is located next to the area entrance. A similaz sign has been posted at the Lone Pine Gulch development waste pile and at the RPE. 2.05-43 Revised Jart. 1997 TR79