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MOUNTAIN COAL West Elk Mine <br /> <br />'? COMPANY P.O. Box 591 <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />L.L.C. <br />omerset CO 81434 <br />S <br />A Subsidiary of Arch westem bituminous Group, LLC (970) 929-2200 <br /> Fax(970)929-5050 <br />March 30, 2010 <br />Mr. Tom Kaldenbach <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company, LLC, West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-1980-007; Minor <br />Revision No. MR-364, Combined E3 and E4 MDW Pads <br />Dear Mr. Kaldenbach: <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC) submits this letter, attached maps, and application form in <br />application of Minor Revision No. 364 (MR-364) to its Mining and Reclamation Permit No. C-1980- <br />007. This revision is replace three MDW pads locations originally projected in PR-14 in a <br />combined location immediately to the south of two E4 pads (see the maps attached). The pads to <br />be replaced are within the Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA) boundary and because the enjoined <br />2001 Roadless Rule is still being enforced and the Colorado Roadless Rule has not been finalized, <br />MCC cannot reasonably access these pads to build effective MDWs. As such, MCC proposes to <br />build this larger pad from an existing old road that had been used for exploration in 1996, for MDW <br />access in 2001, and again for exploration access last year. <br />This pad will be built in two phases. The north half of the pad (about 5 acres) will be built late this <br />spring or early summer as ground conditions allow to accommodate drilling three directional MDWs <br />into panel E3. Next year the south half will be built to accommodate additional MDWs into panels <br />E4 and E5 as well. No roads will be built within the IRA boundary and no disturbance will occur <br />within 100' of the water influence zone (WIZ) of Deep Creek. As a result of this proposed <br />combined MDW pad from three pads, there will be a net reduction of about 30% in proposed <br />disturbed acres and a likely 75% reduction in disturbance within the IRA. <br />Please contact me at (970) 929-2238 or by e-mail should you have questions regarding this <br />submittal. <br />Sincerely, ?L <br />Kathleen G. Welt, <br />Environmental Engineer III <br />cc: Doug Nolte -MCC <br />Ryan Taylor - USFS <br />Joanne Williams - Gunnison Co.