2010-01-25_PERMIT FILE - C1981044A (4)

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2.05 APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FOR SURFACE OR UNDERGROUND MINING ACTIVITIES - MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATION AND RECLAMATION PLANS • 2.05.1 OBJECTIVES The objectives of this section are to assure that the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division is provided with comprehensive and reliable information on the existing and planned coal mining operations, and to assure that those operations will be allowed to be conducted in compliance with the coal regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board and the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, Article 33 of Title 34 as amended Colorado Revised Statutes of 1973. Information presented in this permit which addresses 2.05 is referenced as necessary to the applicable environmental baseline information of 2.04 to demonstrate that the operation is being conducted consistent with environmental resources information. It should be noted that the operator name was changed in 2009 to BTU Empire Company, LLC, so any references to BTU Empire, BTU -EC, or EC, refer to the current operator. The Mine designation was also changed at the same time to Williams Fork Mines, so any references to Eagle Mines or Eagle No. 5, 6, and/or 9 Mines, refer to the current mine designation. 2.05.2 OPERATION PLAN - ESTIMATED AREA FOR LIFE OF OPERATION EC has submitted an Operation and Reclamation Plan for the entire area for the life of the proposed operation. In addition, environmental baseline information has been collected for the entire life -of -mine area. The proposed permit boundary shown on all maps and described in the legal description also covers the entire area for the life of the operation. EC will employ detailed and current engineering designs for all underground mining activities in order to maximize coal recovery. A detailed description of all planned mining operations is contained within Section 2.05.3 Operation Plan - Permit Area. In all cases, proposed mining operations are designed for maximum coal recovery. • The area to be affected over the life of the planned operation is shown on the Life -of -Mine Plan Map (Map 22). Electrical transmission lines, county roads, state roads, an oil pipeline, and a railroad traverse the permit area. Facilities overlying the planned operation include office and mine facilities, houses, sediment ponds, and sediment control ditches. Farming activity exists on the hill slopes and in the valley floors. In addition, portions of the Trapper Strip Mine overlay the operation. Particular impacts on these areas and facilities will be discussed herein. The primary mining method to be employed by EC will be underground longwall. Room and pillar mining will be employed for development of the longwall system, and, if needed, as a supplement to coal production. The primary mining method of longwall will be employed in both the five year mine plan as well as the life -of -mine plan presented in this permit. 2.05.3 OPERATION PLAN - PERMIT AREA Production Methods and Equipment EC engineers through careful evaluation of geologic, production, and economic information have concluded that the only economic and efficient mining method is the employment of a longwall system. As of May 1985, a longwall system has been in production in the No. 5 mine at EC. The longwall system is the primary mining method employed at both the No. 5 and No. 6 mines as shown on the No. 5 Mine Plan Map (Map 22) and the No. 6 Mine Plan Map (Map 23). The No. 5 mine produced coal from the "F" seam, while the No. 6 mine can produce coal from the "E" and "H" seam. Additional geologic information has been provided on these coal seams as well as the associated burden materials in Section 2.04.6 Geology Description. Although the longwall system will be the primary mining method employed at the EC mines, standard room and pillar mining will be utilized for the development areas of the longwall system, and, • if needed, to supplement coal production. The North Main rock ramps will be developed with a roadheader. MR09 -48 2.05 -1 10/26/09