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

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drainage well drill sites with 2.3 miles of
temporary road construction.
• Proposed on 160-acre modification: Two
methane drainage well drill sites with one-
tenth mile of road construction.
COC-56447
• Proposed on lease: approximately 240 feet
temporary road construction in IRA.
COC-67232
• Proposed on IRA portion of lease: MDWs on
8 locations.
Road construction activities associated with
methane drainage wells proposed in the West Elk
IRA may be constructed or reconstructed because
they are excepted from the prohibitions of the
RACR under Exception No. 7.
The rationale for applying the exception from the
RACR is as follows:
Exception No. 7 - A road is needed in conjunction
with the continuation, extension, renewal of a
mineral lease on lands that were under lease as of
January 12, 2001... Such road construction or
reconstruction must be conducted in a mamier that
minimizes effects on surface resources, prevents
unnecessary or unreasonable surface disturbance
and complies with all lease requirements, land and
resource management plan direction, regulations,
and laws. Roads constructed or reconstructed
pursuant to this paragraph must be obliterated when
no longer needed for the purposes of the lease....
• The roads to access methane drainage wells
are needed for coal mining operations and
continuation of leases on lands that were under
lease as of January 12, 2001.
• Exception applies to proposed road
construction associated with methane drainage
wells on all IRA lands included in the federal
coal leases C-1362 and COC-56447 on which
operations are proposed.
The need for proposing operations on the federal
coal leases that overlap with the IRA is based upon
the configuration of the mining operations, meeting
MSHA approval for the mine ventilation plan
(which includes having adequate methane drainage
facilities), functionality of the mine ventilation
system, and limitations on using directional drilling
because of overburden thickness.
General mining operations for recovering the E
Seam reserves at the West Elk Mine include
developing longwall panels which are oriented in a
southeast to northwesterly direction. Mining these
panels would occur from southeast to northwest.
The configuration of the mine plan in federal coal
reserves is reviewed by the BLM to ensure that
maximum economic recovery of the coal resource
occurs. Thus, the projected mine plan is configured
to ensure that all recoverable reserves are included.
Based on experience mining B Seam reserves at
other parts of the West Elk Mine, MDWs work
most efficiently when placed on the "tailgate" side
of the longwall panel where the fresh air traveling
across the longwall face is drawn in to the return
ventilation system. If MDWs are not placed in this
manner, then the ventilation system `fights' with
them and makes them less efficient, which leads to
reduced capacity to regulate the amount of methane
in the workings leading to safety concerns and
operational downtime. For the E Seam reserves, to
maximize efficiency, the MDWs are placed on the
north side of the planned longwall panels where the
tailgate for each panel will lie. The alignment of the
longwall panels and need to place MDWs near the
tailgate side requires that these facilities be placed
in the IRA.
Spacing requirements for MDWs of 750 feet are
currently directed by MSHA based on anticipated
mine conditions as submitted in a Mine Ventilation
Plan provided by MCC, as is the need for additional
ventilation at the beginning of a longwall panel
which is also the limit of recoverable E Seam coal
reserves. The development and implementation of a
mine ventilation plan requires several steps as
outlined below:
Conceptual mine plans are developed to recover the
mineable coal deposit.
Ventilation layouts are then applied to the mine
plans and are used to help distinguish the most
feasible plan to meet the following criteria:
• Provide for the health and safety of all miners;
• Comply with the Federal Coal Mine Safety
Standards (30 CFR Part 75). The Department
of Labor is charged with enforcing these
laws/standards. MSHA represents the
Department of Labor in the field by physically
inspecting each mine; and
• Provide ventilation for the safe production of
coal in today's competitive market place.
Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS
S-9