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Technical Revision to Mt. Gunnison • Permits-to-Mine CMLRB C-007-81 and OSM CO-0021 MT. GUNN15ON NO. 1 UNDERGROUND MINE REFUSE DLSPOSAL AREA I. INTRODUCTION West Elk Coal Company (WECC), operators of the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Underground Mine located near Somerset, Colorado, proposes to revise its Permits-to-Mine C-007-81 issued by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board (CMLRB) and CO-0021 issued by the Federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) in July, 1981. The revision is being made to allow for the construction of a permanent refuse disposal area, previously referred to in the Mt. Gunnison Mining and Reclamation Plan (M and R Plan) as the Upper or Future Waste rock pile, for coal reject, underground development waste and possibly for coal processing waste. While it is uncertain at this time whether WECC will process coal on-site and dispose of coal processing wastes at Mt. Gunnison, WECC proposes to • construct this refuse disposal area in accordance with Rule 4.10 - Coa! Processing Waste Banks of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining (Regulations). The refuse disposal site and the haul road accessing the site are located in Section 16, T135, R90W, 6th P. M., within coordinates 1,444,500 to 1,446,500E and 401,500 to 403,000 N on land owned by Atlantic Richfield and within the current Mt. Gunnison 5-year permit area as shown in Drawing 001 -Refuse Disposal Area Site Plan. The refuse disposal area is located on approximately 40 acres, on a topographic bench above and south of the existing surface facilities. The surface elevation at the top of the pile will be about 6880 feet and at the toe about 6660 feet. There is an existing landslide below the proposed disposal area. The proposed refuse pile toe and drainage channels will be above and about 100 feet beyond the old landslide. This location is above the main air intake entries where the overburden thickness varies from 150 to 500 feet. The refuse disposal area has been designed and will be constructed and maintained to prevent combustion, and to ensure stability and protection against adverse impacts on water quality, • water flow or vegetation, and so as not to create public health hazards.