2008-06-09_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 ‎(5)‎

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/9/2008
• Doc Name: Exhibit 79 Deer Creek Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells Project Final-August 2007
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 80 Drilling Activities - TR111
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

less than estimated with this method. Access to and from the E Seam MDW drilling area
Therefore, this analysis estimates the potential and the Deer creek shaft would use a combination
disturbance by soil type and is not of County, existing NFSRs, existing life of mine
representative of the actual acres that would be administrative access roads serving the coal leases,
disturbed by the proposed action. and newly constructed administrative access roads
• Constructing approximately 15.8 miles of new as follows (Figure S-3):
access road, over 12 years; Daily project traffic (with the exception of
• Using and performing maintenance oversize/over-length vehicles) is required to
(upgrading) on approximately 4.8 miles of access from the north via the Sylvester Gulch
existing National Forest System Roads Road (approved as a temporary road in the
(NFSR) and approximately 2.0 miles of 2002 Coal Methane Drainage Project Panels
existing ATV trails on NFS lands; 16-24 Environmental Assessment and
Installing passive and/or active degassing
• DN/FONSI May 2002, and modified to a life
of mine (to approximately 2030) road in the
equipment; 2006 Supplement to Coal Methane Drainage
• Operating and maintaining wells for Project Panels 16-24 Environmental
ventilation of mine while recovering E Seam Assessment for Sylvester Gulch Road
reserves; Construction and Lang Draw Saddle
seeding and
Interim reclaiming of mud pits Extension Upgrade). Project traffic on the
,
mulching outslopes and cut-slopes, surface Minnesota Creek Road was an issue that has
preparation would occur before seeding; arisen from Delta County and the town of
Plugging drill holes and performing final
• Paonia in previous analysis. The Sylvester
reclamation on pads when drill holes Gulch Road is currently under construction
(estimated life of each MDW is three years; and anticipated to by completed September,
construction and reclamation would span 12 2007.
years); and Oversize/over-length vehicles such as the drill
-- Decommissioning by obliterating all new
• rig and semi trucks (large equipment
access roads and decommissioning existing transport) would access from the west through
roads to desired service level or obliterating at the town of Paonia, then via Mimiesota Creek
Road it Delta County, Gunnison County Road
end of needed project use. 710, and NFSRs 710, 711. The estimated
Access and Road ConstruCtlon traffic associated with use of county roads for
Relative to road construction, the Proposed Action oversized vehicles is estimated at 5 round trips
would authorize construction and use of about 22.6 per year until project completion. For shaft
miles of roads necessary for these operations. About construction activities where cement hauling is
15.8 of the 22.6 miles would be new road required, an estimated 7 round trips per day
construction, about 4.8 miles of upgrades to with full-sized vehicles (not to exceed 20,000
existing NFSRs, and about 2.0 miles of upgrades to pounds per axle) will use these routes.
ATV trails on NFS lands. The proposed action Estimated duration of cementing on shaft is
includes a 0.6-mile re-routing of an existing life of fall 2007 through summer 2008. MCC has
mine administrative access road to address issues developed a maintenance agreement with
related to geologic hazards, sedimentation control Delta County to avoid any conflicts with road
- and maintenance issues. use.
All project traffic would also use the existing
The Proposed Action includes approving life of mine administrative access roads
construction of approximately 2.3 miles of new known as the West Flatiron Road, Long Draw
roads (including the 0.6 mile re-route) in the West Saddle (and Extension), in addition to NFSRs
Elk IRA. The Purpose of and Need for these 711.2A and 711. 2B.
710
711
locations have been approved by the Regional ,
,
Forester as they fit an exception to RACR (see About 22.6 miles of road construction or
Proposed Activities in IRA section below). reconstruction between existing roads and new
drill pads would occur. Approximately 2.3 of
these miles are in the West Elk IRA.
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS S-7