PERMFILE133609

• Permit No: C1980007A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/2/2006
• Section_Exhibit Name: 2.05.3 Operation Plan - Permit Area
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

West Elk Mine
As coal or coal mine waste may be hauled on the above roads, all of the roads have been designed,
constructed and certified as haul roads. These as-built certifications are provided in Exhibit 8A.
There are three roads that aze considered access roads only. They aze the Three-Sided Building
access road, the Portal access road, and the Materials Storage Bench access road. These roads have
been certified as access roads and the certifications are also provided in Exhibit 8A.
Vertical grades on the hauUaccess roads vary. The middle-mine haulaccess road has an overall
grade of 5.68 percent. This road is paved. The new silo hauUaccess road has a maximum grade of
10 percent and is gravel-surfaced. The Sylvester Gulch hauUaccess road has been designed to have
an average grade of 7.6 percent with a maximum grade of 10 percent. This road is surfaced with 12
inches of compacted Class 6 road base.
The mine roads require relatively little surface maintenance. Holes and ruts are patched in the early
stages with a cold mix of composition similar to the original road mix. In addition to pavement
maintenance on roads, maintenance operations include shaping and sealing of shoulders, cutting
back or chemically treating weed and bush growth, maintaining ditches and drains, removing litter,
and repainting stripes. Snow and ice removal during the winter months aze a roadway maintenance
priority. Parking and side azeas aze similazly maintained for safe and efficient use.
Light-Use Roads
A gravel surfaced light-use road has been constructed azound the southern and eastern perimeter of
the MB-2R sedimentafion pond and azound the base of the lower refuse pile for occasional
construction and maintenance equipment uses. Two short roads (approximately 150 ft. long) and
associated pads have been constructed from existing mine site roads to provide access: for
emergency repair and maintenance along the C-1 conveyor, to the water tank topsoil pile, to the
switchgeaz buildings above the portals, and to the power-poles located along the west side of
Sylvester Gulch HauUAccess road and north of the Sylvester Gulch F-Seam fan. When these roads
and pads aze no longer required for operations, the roads will be graded back to approximate
original contour and reclaimed. The road between the ROM coal stockpile pad and the product coal
stockpile has been designated as alight-use road. The overall grade of the road is 7.6 percent. The
road is surfaced with asphalt or roadbase. An existing road in the Lone Pine Gulch area has been
widened and graveled as alight-use road to access the Lone Pine Gulch fan site. This road will be
left in place at final reclamation to allow continued access for the landowners and lessees of the azea
and is consistent with the approved post-mining land uses of rangeland and wildlife habitat.
Light-use roads to the water tank and to the Sylvester Gulch high-voltage transmission line
were constructed in the Spring of 1997. Other light-use roads for the Sylvester Gulch
Facilities Area include the electric borehole road, the ventilation shaft #3 road, the
degasi£ication borehole road, and the powerline light-use road.
Light-use roads are also used in association with methane drainage well drilling and operations.
These roads will be reclaimed upon completion of methane drainage well operations.
Existing roads constructed prior to the mine, which provide access to monitoring stations, and other
existing site roads, not otherwise designated, will be utilized and maintained aslight-use roads.
Some existing public roads (e.g. USFS roads, etc.) aze utilized for access to monitoring sites, etc.
A Road Use Permit, with annual updates as necessary, was issued by the USFS, which authorizes
1.03-15 Revised June 1005 PRIO; Rev. Jamrory 1006; Rev. March 1006; Rev April 1006 PRIG, May 2006 PRIO