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• West Elk Mine have extended under the National Forest land on some of their Federal <br />leases. <br />MCC experienced a therma[ event in the underground mine workings in January 2000. <br />MCC was authorized at that time to access National Forest System Lands (NFSL) to <br />install boreholes into the underground workings in order to remedy the situation (project <br />file). The Thermal Event Drilling Project resulted in about 8 acres of surface disturbance <br />on NFSL, which MCC is required to restore to original condition. <br />MCC submitted an Application for a Special Use Permit (SUP) on May 31, 2000 in <br />response to the anticipated occupancy of NFSL for monitoring, maintenance and <br />reclamation activities associated with the thermal event drilling. The Mining, Safety and <br />Health administration (MSHA) is requiring this monitoring during the mining of the <br />adjacent longwall panel, 13A. Mining 13A is anticipated to start in summer 2000, and <br />continue through February 2001. It is anticipated that MCC will need to occupy the <br />surface for about one yeaz to account for final reclamation activities. <br />III. PROPOSED ACTION <br />The proposed action is to allow MCC to occupy NFSL in order to: I) proceed with <br />reclaiming and restoring NFSL disturbed during the thermal event drilling, and to <br />establish GMUG requirements for the restoration, 2) maintain boreholes for the purposes <br />• of monitoring gas and water levels in the underground mine and for water injection <br />purposes, and 3) maintain a water pipeline across NFSL for water delivery to the drilling <br />locations. <br />MCC was informed of the GMUG requirements for restoring the land to original <br />condition at the time of their authorization to proceed with the thermal event drilling <br />(project file). Any disturbed lands (including drill pads, access routes, staging or storage <br />area) will be returned to approximate original contour, seeded with a Forest Service- <br />approved seed mix, mulched and fertilized. Existing Forest Service roads that were used <br />and upgraded by MCC will not be maintained at the upgraded level, but rather will be <br />allowed to degenerate to their pre-project condition. Where road widening has occurred, <br />berms will be pulled back onto the road, and any turnouts smoothed. llisturbed azeas <br />adjacent to roads will also be seeded, mulched and fertilized. <br />Drill sites that do not have a borehole needed for monitoring will be reclaimed <br />immediately. For the boreholes that aze needed for monitoring, final reclamation will <br />occur once they are not needed. The well heads will be cut off and the boreholes plugged <br />according to State standards. The land surface will be restored as described above. <br />Likewise, the water pipeline will be removed from the azea, along with any other <br />equipment used at the site by MCC. <br />~J <br />