2009-05-26_PERMIT FILE - C1980007A

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West Elk Mine Three permanent refuse disposal areas and one development waste pile are permitted at West Elk Mine. Initially, refuse was temporarily stockpiled in an area formerly called the U.S. Steel laydown area. This area has been enlarged and converted to a permanent refuse pile called the Lower Refuse Disposal Area or Lower Refuse Pile (LRP). A permanent refuse pile is also permitted for the meadow above the portal bench. This area is referred to as the Upper Refuse Disposal Area (URDA). Although this upper refuse disposal area has been approved for construction, it is not yet needed. Thus, construction of the Upper Refuse Disposal Area will occur in the future, if needed. All construction information about these two disposal areas is contained in Exhibit 50 (URDA) and Exhibit 51 (LRP). As MCC believed that the Lower Refuse Pile would reach its maximum storage capacity in 1997 (and before completing construction of the ventilation shafts in Sylvester Gulch), a third refuse disposal area was designed. The Refuse Pile Expansion (RPE) area was designed and prepared to the east of the Lower Refuse Pile and east of Sylvester Gulch. As described in Exhibit 51, refuse disposal at the LRP has been temporarily inactivated before reaching the maximum designed storage capacity, because all refuse disposal is being handled in the RPE area (as of October 1998). The design information and baseline data for the RPE area are contained in Exhibit 70. The Lone Pine Gulch Development Waste Pile was designed to contain approximately 17,000 cubic yards of material generated from the development of the Lone Pine Gulch fan intake and return entries. Designs for this pile are contained in Exhibit 42A. The pile is currently in final reclamation. It was covered with subsoil and topsoil and seeded in the fall of 1995. Although most of the refuse material generated at West Elk Mine will end up in the waste disposal areas, some non-coal waste may be disposed of in one of two other ways. First, some non-combustible materials may be placed in abandoned F Seam workings. Second, suitable materials may be crushed and used for graveling roadways in the mine. Overall, relatively little material will be disposed of using these alternate methods. All disposal areas and the development waste pile were designed and are maintained according to CDMG regulations. They are not located near underground mine air shafts, tipples, or other surface installations. The Lower Refuse Disposal Area has a sign posted with the assigned MSHA identification number and other necessary information. In addition, the sign is at least six feet above the ground or waste surface and is located next to the area entrance. A similar sign has been posted at the Lone Pine Gulch development waste pile and at the RPE. Refuse Production During Permit Term During the permit term, development and coal-processing wastes will be produced from mining in the E Seam and B Seam. Two-cycle mining on development and ventilation construction activities will be the primary sources of waste from the E Seam and B Seam. Some waste may also be generated from the continued rehabilitation of the F Seam main ventilation and access entries. With the crusher, screens and rotary breaker circuit, the least amount of coal processing waste will be produced. 2.05-45 Revised November 2004 PR10; Rev. March 2006; Rev. April 2006 PRIG; Rev. May 2006 PRIO; Rev. January 2009 MR-350