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West Elk Mine <br />Table 33 <br />Summary of Mountain Coal Company's Water Rights for the West Elk Mine <br />Source of Water Water Ri hts <br />Mt. Gunnison Pi eline 15.00 cubic feet er second <br />Ton Bear Pi eline 0.9 cubic feet er second <br />Chi munk Ditch 1.0 cubic feet er second <br />Walter Gallob Ditch 0.75 cubic feet er second <br /> <br />Sedimentation Ponds: <br />MB #1 13.66 acre-feet <br />MB #2 9.61 acre-feet <br />MB-#3 0.23 acre-feet <br /> <br />Freshwater Ponds: <br />FW #1 9.98 acre-feet <br />FW #2 9.98 acre-feet <br /> <br />Mt. Gunnison Tunnel 0.49 feet er second <br />Notes: 1. These facilities have not yet been cons tructed <br />Water used at West Elk Mine comes from adjudicated water rights owned by iYICC. Table 33 <br />summarizes MCC's rights. The rights are used according to Colorado Water Laws administered by <br />the District No. 4 Water Commissioner. MCC also has available (for use or augmentation) non- <br />tributary water rights and storage water rights for the water generated from the mine and stored in <br />sumps maintained within the underground mine. <br />Raw or untreated water is pumped underground from the freshwater pond (F'~-1) by pumps, <br />located in the water treatment plant. The water distribution system at West Elk Mine contains <br />several major components. They include the ~•aw water intake gallery and pumps, cast or steel <br />utility piping, fresh-water storage pond (FW-1~, water treatment plant, mine wa~~ter pumps, a 1.2 <br />million gallon mine water storage tank, freshwater pump, potable water tank, and fire suppression <br />systems. A second freshwater pond (FW-2) has not yet been built. However, its construction is still <br />considered necessary to meet future storage needs. <br />Water pumped underground is used for dust suppression and to maintain fire-fighting systems. <br />Currently, none of the water seeping into the mine is used in the mine. Water inflows typically are <br />pumped-out of the mine, treated, and discharged according to NPDES permit requirements. West <br />Elk Mine has apackage-type wastewater treatment plant to treat sewage from the mine's facilities. <br />The plant has a capacity of 10,000 gallons per day. With an aeration basin and clarifier, the plant <br />provides primary and secondary treatment. The wastewater treatment plant is operated under <br />applicable state laws that govern wastewater treatment facilities, administered by the CDPHE. <br />In 1996, MCC expanded the wastewater plant to increase the throughput capacity to 20,000 gpd. <br />The expansion included a 3,000-gallon flow equalization tank, an additional clarifier and a <br />flocculent system. The clarifier is added to provide additional retention and clarification as a <br />passive safeguard to plant operation. The flocculent system will be used as a secondary safeguard <br />that may be operated to enhance solids settling in the primary clarifier. <br />2.03-20 Rev. 06/03- PRIO; 01/06- PRIG; 03/06- PRIG; 0/06- PRIQ OS/06- PRIG; 01/09- MR-350; 0/09- TR 116; 0=1/09- MR353 <br />