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Rule 2.05.3 - Operations Plan <br />With the proposed decrease in annual coal production from approximately 5 <br />million tons to approximately 2.3 million tons, Colowyo has slowed the mining in <br />the West Pit. This slow down will extend the life of the West Pit from its current <br />projected end of life of 2011 (as shown on Map 23 - Mine Plan South Area). <br />Please submit a technical revision to update Map 23 to reflect the current <br />production levels and mining dates in the West Pit. Please update both surface and <br />highwall mining operations, as necessary. <br />2. Colowyo shows highwall mining of the E2-Seam in the South Taylor Pit from <br />2009-2012. Colowyo completed highwall mining in the area under the East Taylor <br />Fill in 2009. Please advise the Division whether additional highwall mining is <br />proposed for this area, as indicated on Map 23A - Mine Plan South Taylor Area. <br />If no additional highwall mining is planned for this area, please update Map 23A to <br />indicate that all highwall mining for this area was completed in 2009. <br />3. If necessary, based on the progression of the South Taylor Pit, please update the <br />highwall mining dates for the area that is proposed for highwall mining under the <br />West Taylor Fill (2009-2012). Please note that specific approval for highwall <br />mining in this area has not been granted and, prior to performing any highwall <br />mining in this area, Colowyo must submit and have approved a technical revision <br />specific to this area. <br />4. There is text on Page 2.05-18 describing the Section 16 Pit and West Pit in the <br />future tense (the pits will be developed). Since mining has been completed in the <br />Section 16 Pit and nears completion in the West Pit, please update this text to <br />discuss these pits in the present or past tense, as necessary. Colowyo may wish to <br />keep some of the historical information describing the permitting of these pits but <br />the remaining text needs to describe the pits as they are currently. <br />5. On page 2.05-19 Colowyo presents a chart of projected excess spoil as of 31 <br />December 2006. This chart shows a balance of total excess spoil for the Streeter <br />Fill, Section 16 Fill and West Pit Fill. Since these fills have been completed (with <br />only the removal of Hink's Peak and final reclamation of the West Pit Fill <br />remaining), please update this chart to show the volumes of excess spoil that went <br />into each fill as well as the total excess spoil generated by the mining operations in <br />the East Pit, West Pit and Section 16 Pit. Please revise the text references <br />accompanying the chart to summarize the current status of the fills and to indicate <br />that no additional spoil will be placed into the fills. <br />6. On Page 2.05-3 Colowyo provides an overburden monitoring plan, which was <br />updated with the approval of Technical Revision 62. This overburden monitoring <br />plan was approved based on the average topsoil replacement depth of at least eight <br />inches. In Technical Revision 82, Colowyo is proposing a variable topsoil <br />replacement depth, which could lead to less than four inches of topsoil being <br />Colowyo Mine <br />Permit No. C-1981-019 <br />2010 Midterm Review <br />10 May 2010 <br />9