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APPENDIX II-B-2 <br />COAL BASIN OPERATIONS <br />1956-1987 <br />1. The Mines. <br />The Coal Basin operations of Mid-Continent began with construction of facilities in <br />1953. Production began in 1956. <br />The Dutch Creek No. 1 Mine, opened in 1956. <br />The L. S. Wood No. 2 Mine, opened in 1973. <br />The L. S. Wood No. 3 Mine, opened in 1966. <br />The Bear Creek No. 4 Mine, opened in 1969. <br /> <br />The Coal Basin No. 5 Mine, opened in 1973. <br />Two seams of coal are mined at Coal Basin. The B-bed, mined from the Entries of <br />No. 1, 3, 4 and 5; and the Middle-bed, mined from No. 2. The Middle-bed lies 450 <br />feet above the B-bed. <br />2. Construction -Portals and Haul Roads. <br /> <br />All the mines were developed as drift mines, which follow the coal from outcrop, <br />downdip. Mine portals were built directly at the coal seam outcrop. Following a <br />common practice for western U.S. mines, the entry was excavated by a cut above <br />the coal seam. Material from the excavation was used as a fill, creating a mine <br />bench on which surface facilities were then constructed. <br />A system of haul roads were developed, connecting the portals, at 10,000' <br />elevation, with the central complex yard area, at 8,000' elevation. Development of <br />the haul road system was a difficult task due to rugged, mountainous topography, <br />steep slopes, severe erosion problems, potentially unstable slopes and high <br />avalanche danger. <br />1 <br />