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Coal Methane Drainave Proied - PaneG 1G24 lY/ett Elk Mine • Pave 7-1 <br />1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED <br />This chapter describes the project proposal, the purpose and need for the proposal, conformance <br />with applicable land use designations and plans, and the required authorizing actions and decisions. <br />1.1 INTRODUCTION <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC), a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Western Resources, <br />LLC, owns and operates the West Elk underground coal mine (Mine). The Mine, located near <br />Somerset, Colorado on the North Fork of The Gunnison River, as shown by Figure Fl, General <br />Location, currently produces approximately 6 million tons annually oflow-sulfur sub-bituminous coal <br />using high-capacity longwall mining methods. Land ownership (surface) in the mine and project azea <br />includes both privately owned lands and National Forest lands, managed by the Paonia Ranger <br />District -USDA Forest Service (USFS), Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests <br />(GMUG). <br />MCC has two federal coal leases issued by USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the project <br />area. The coal leases are issued pursuant to the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, 41 <br />Star. 437, 30 U.S.C. 181-287. Coal leases are issued by the BLM following consent by the surface land <br />management agency. The surface management agenry is responsible for providing lease stipulations <br />necessary to protect surface resources. Coal leases C-1362 and COC-56447 describe activities <br />xequued by MCC to develop the federal coal and each contain surface resource protection <br />stipulations. <br />MCC operates the West Elk mine under their Mining and Reclamation Plan, Permit No. C-80-007, <br />issued by Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG). CDMG has permanent program <br />authority from the USDI Office of Surface Mining to implement the Federal Surface Coal Mining <br />Reclamation Act. All proposed activities by MCC to implement their Mining and Reclamation Plan <br />aze reviewed and approved by the surface land management agenry (CJSFS) and CDMG. <br />Mining and Reclamation Plans, and accompanying permits, often have to be revised or amended to <br />account for operational changes necessary to develop the leased coal. Permit revisions are submitted <br />to CDMG by MCC. When surface activities are proposed, MCC also submits a project proposal to <br />the USFS for review and approval as the federal coal lease surface management agenry. The USFS <br />conducts a public review and environmental analysis process as required by the National <br />Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1968. Following completion of the NEPA process, the USFS <br />transmits rhea deusion to CDMG For inclusion in their permit revision process. The USFS decision <br />includes terms and conditions required for project approval. CDMG incorporates the USFS terms <br />and conditions in the approved permit revision. MCC may implement their pemvt revision when <br />approved by CDMG. <br />MCC informed the GMUG on March 21, 2001 that they were experiencing problems with excessive <br />methane gas build-up in the underground mine workings. Methane (CHq) is a colorless, odorless, <br />tasteless gas that generally occurs in a relatively pure state. Elevated methane levels can result in <br />potentially dangerous conditions, with the potential for underground ignitions, and more seriously, <br />explosions at methane concentrations in the range from 5 to 15 percent. Given the potential danger, <br />the federal Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requites that production operations be <br />suspended and mine personnel be immediately removed from working ueas if methane levels exceed <br />1.5 percent. The underground mine ventilation system was operating at full capacity relative to <br />airflow through the mine workings, but was unable to adequately remove ox dilute the methane in the <br />active workings to keep methane levels within a safe operating range. In the summer of 2001, MCC <br />initiated an extensive program of horizontal drilling inside the mine in an attempt to liberate and <br />control the methane gas. While partially successful in reducing gas levels, the horizontal drilling <br />program did not prove adequate to keep methane levels in an acceptable range. <br />Environmental A.rtetrment <br />W.-P9/Mw.C~/G/G.i/Dn/ f/J/WEl UIFS <br />3/1/01 /v <br />