2008-03-21_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1980007 (3)

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underground. The longwall was moved in 2001 to the eastern mining district east of Sylvester Gulch and mining has since progressed northward in the permit area. MCC occasionally uses a relatively small quantity of explosives for blasting for underground construction. The explosives are stored in an explosives magazine located in the main facilities area of the mine. The West Elk Mine portals are located at an approximate elevation of 6,450 feet. Run-of--mine coal is transported from the production panels to the various surface facilities by a system of belt conveyors. A conveyor carries coal from inside the mine portal to the stacking tubes. From the stacking tubes, an underground conveyor reclaim system transports the coal to the two crushers. A conveyor then moves the coal from the crushers to the two storage silos. A stacktube located to the east of the silos provides additional storage for product coal. A loadout conveyor carries coal from the storage silos to the over-the-track loadout. A portion of this conveyor is completely enclosed where it crosses the North Fork of the Gunnison River and Highway 133. Coal is shipped from the West Elk Mine mainly by rail, although some coal is either trucked from the mine or is transferred to various handling or stockpile facilities on the mine site. Coal mine waste at the mine is generated during underground construction activities and mining. Other sources of coal mine waste are contaminated coal spillage, sediment pond dredgings, and soils contaminated with non-hazardous materials. These other sources of waste comprise only a small portion of the coal mine waste produced at the mine. Coal mine waste is currently being disposed onto a permanent coal mine waste pile called the Refuse Pile Expansion area (RPE). This is a 20-acre site to the east of the Lower Refuse Disposal Area, and is east of Sylvester Gulch. The original coal mine waste disposal area, referred to as the Lower Refuse Pile, remains across Sylvester Gulch from the RPE. The level area on top is used as an equipment lay-down area and the slopes have been topsoiled and seeded. An Upper Refuse Disposal Area has also been approved for construction, and has not been built. Although MCC has verbally indicated this pile will not be needed, before the pile can be constructed, MCC must address stipulation #7. State Highway 133 provides the main access to the West Elk Mine. A haul road joins the highway east of the lower refuse pile and serves as the access to all facilities except the silo storage area. An old haul road accesses this area and other lower mine facilities, which is now considered an access road. Other access roads include the middle-mine facilities road and the Sylvester Gulch fan road, and the Sylvester Gulch extension. The Lone Pine Gulch road has been designated as a light-use road and provides access to the former site of a ventilation fan. Surface runoff from the disturbed area is treated by eight ponds and a number of small area exemptions (SAEs). MB-1 is a large upper pond that holds mine discharge water and drainage from the upper areas of the site including the mine bench. MB-2R is the large lower pond which treats drainage from a majority of the site, including the lower refuse pile. MB-3 is a small lower pond which treats drainage from the silo storage area. MB-4 serves the train loadout area and MB-5 treats drainage at the old Bear Mine site. Atwo-celled, lined pond controls sediment from the Refuse Pile Expansion. The NSSA pond treats runoff from the North Soil Storage Area. Sediment control pond SG-1 is located within Sylvester Gulch to treat runoff from the disturbed area associated with ventilation shafts. Mountain Coal Company also has a freshwater pond, designated FW-1, which provides two months' storage capacity for potable and domestic water 17