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MOUNTAIN COAL <br />COMPANYL L C. <br />A S]tSia"d Arch WOUBM Rhin t16 G P• uc <br />January 14, 2011 <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 />West Elk Mine <br />P.O. Box 591 <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />(970)929-2200 <br />Fax (970) 929.5050 <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company, LLC, West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-1980-007; Technical <br />Revision No. TR-124, Addition of Maximum Projected Areal Extent of Potential Mining; <br />Responses to Adequacy Comments <br />Dear Mr. Kaldenbach: <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC) provides the following responses to the adequacy comments on <br />Technical Revision No. 124 per your letter of December 22, 2010. The Division's comments are quoted <br />below and are followed by MCC's responses. <br />1. "Please either add to the permit application or direct us to baseline seep and spring <br />information for the parts of the Projected Potential Mining Area that have not previously been <br />approved." <br />Baseline hydrology information has been collected for the entire lease and permit areas (and <br />beyond), not just above projected E-seam mining, and as such is inclusive of all Projected <br />Potential Mining Areas. Throughout section 2.04.7(2) (e.g. pages 2.04-88 and 2.04-108) and <br />section 2.05.6 of MCC's permit document, Map 37 is referenced and shows the locations of <br />springs and seeps within the lease areas. Also referenced throughout sections 2.04.7 and 2.05.6 <br />is Exhibit 71, the baseline hydrologic characterization and monitoring plan. The monitoring plan <br />includes for example, the Deep Creek Ditch flume which is above the Projected Potential Mining <br />Area east of the projected E-seam mining in the E6 longwall panel. The "South of Divide Natural <br />Resources Inventory" study area shown on drawing 1B of Exhibit 32B (also referenced in <br />Sections 2.04.7 and 2.05.6), is inclusive of the Projected Potential Mining Area within the permit <br />boundary as well as adjacent areas. <br />2. "Please leave the descriptions of panel dimensions and orientations unchanged on existing <br />previously approved permit pages 2.05-119 and 2.05-120 (with the exception of updating <br />numerical values on these pages, where needed). These detailed descriptions of the <br />underground workings are needed to ensure compliance with Rule 4.20.1(3)." <br />Please see page 3 in Section 2.0 "Mining Method" of Exhibit 60E where the "...size, <br />configuration, and approximate location of pillars and entries..." is provided as required by Rule <br />4.20.1(3). MCC's permit exhibit is referenced on this page rather than copying and repeating this <br />information on the permit text page. <br />3. "In the Notes on Map 51, please replace the words "permit boundary" with "Projected <br />Potential Mining Area". Capital letters are suggested to emphasize the Projected Potential <br />Mining Area is a formally defined area."