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West Elk Mine <br />MCC conducts its operations in a way that minimizes the potential safety hazards for each <br />construction project. It also assures that its employees, contractors, and subcontractors understand <br />MCC's and applicable environmental, and health and safety policies before each construction <br />project begins. <br />MCC's policy for woody plant removal is to keep removal to the absolute minimum. Under most <br />circumstances, MCC refrains from cutting and removing timber and other woody :plants outside the <br />areas specified for construction. The only exceptions are for landscaping, erosion control, or fire <br />prevention. When trees and other woody material are removed, they are shredded and used for <br />mulch during revegetation or disposed of in an approved manner or area. <br />All cut and fill slopes are designed and based on the recommendations of the geotechnical engineer. <br />In constructing slopes, MCC uses appropriate methods, such as benching, staggered benches, slope <br />rounding, feather -back clearing lines, roughened surfaces, and special revegetation work, to <br />minimize the overall impact. <br />MCC revegetate, all those areas disturbed i_. -y mining activities as soo., as practicable. The goal of <br />the reclamation effort is to return the disturbed land to its original level of usefulness. Revegetation <br />will establish permanent cover for erosion control. <br />During construction, every effort is made to prevent fires at all times. Fuels, lubricants, explosives, <br />and other potentially flammable items are stored in a manner to prevent fires. No burning of brush, <br />timber, or other waste materials is allowed without clearance from the proper authorities having <br />jurisdiction over open burning. Finally, if a fire does occur, trained fire control teams drawn from <br />personnel at the mine site are prepared and available to extinguish it. <br />Maior Buildings and Structures <br />The majority of the surface facilities at West Elk Mine are clustered together near the mine portals <br />(Map 53). Major surface facilities at the main mine site include the office and bathhouse building, <br />warehouse, maintenance shop, three -sided warehouse, surface shop building, bulk fuel storage area, <br />bulk rock dust bin and compressor building, potable water treatment plant, wastewater treatment <br />plant, coal stack tubes (see Section 2.05.3(7)), and crushing and screening facilities (see Section <br />2.05.3(7)). All of these facilities are on land owned by MCC. Expanded descriptions for some of <br />these facilities are provided below. A few facilities are located in outlying areas, including the unit- <br />train loadout (Map 53); facilities in Sylvester Gulch (Map 53B), which include ventilation shafts, <br />the F Seam ventilation fan, mine dewatering and treatment facilities, substation; and other support <br />facilities. Detailed descriptions of the Sylvester Gulch facilities are included in Exhibit 69. <br />Office and Bathhouse <br />MCC completed an office and bathhouse building in September 1992 (Map 53).. This building is <br />approximately 20,000 square feet and consists of two floors. The bathhouse facilities and <br />operations offices occupy the lower floor. The engineering and administration offices occupy <br />the upper floor. An as -built construction description is provided in Exhibit 68. <br />2.05 -17 Rev. 06105- PR10; 01106- PR10; 03106- PRIO; 09106- PR10, 05106- PRIG; 01109- MR- 350; 04109- TR 116; 04109- MR353 <br />