2010-08-06_PERMIT FILE - C1980007A (2)

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West Elk Mine planned and executed in a manner to protect the environment and minimiz pollution and erosion. j Three areas of primary concern during construction projects are safety, vegetation, and fires. MCC conducts its operations in a way that minimizes the potential safety hazards for each construction project. It also assures that its employees, contractors, and subcontractors understand MCC's and applicable environmental, and health and safety policies before each construction project begins. MCC's policy for woody plant removal is to keep removal to the absolute minimum. Under most circumstances, MCC refrains from cutting and removing timber and other woody plants outside the areas specified for construction. The only exceptions are for landscaping, erosion control, or fire prevention. When trees and other woody material are removed, they are shredded and used for mulch during revegetation or disposed of in an approved. manner or area. All cut and fill slopes are designed and based on the recommendations of the geotechnical engineer. In constructing slopes, MCC uses appropriate methods, such as benching, staggered benches, slope rounding, feather -back clearing lines, roughened surfaces, and special revegetation work, to minimize the overall impact. MCC revegetates all those areas disturbed by mining activities as soon as practicable. The goal of the reclamation effort is to return the disturbed land to its original level of usefulness. Revegetation will establish permanent cover for erosion control. During construction, every effort is made to prevent fires at all times. Fuels, lubricants, explosives, and other potentially flammable items are stored in a manner to prevent fires. No burning of brush, timber, or other waste materials is allowed without clearance from the proper authorities having jurisdiction over open burning. Finally, if a fire does occur, trained fire control teams drawn from personnel at the mine site are prepared and available to extinguish it. Major Buildings and Structures The majority of the surface facilities at West Elk Mine are clustered together near the mine portals (Map 53). Major surface facilities at the main mine site include the office and bathhouse building, warehouse, maintenance shop, three -sided warehouse, surface shop building, bulk fuel storage area, bulk rock dust bin and compressor building, potable water treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant, coal stack tubes, crushing and screening facilities, and a coal preparation plant and associated coal handling facilites (see Section 2.05.3(7)). All of these facilities are on land owned by MCC. Expanded descriptions for some of these facilities are provided below. A few facilities are located in outlying areas, including the unit -train loadout (Map 53); facilities in Sylvester Gulch (Map 53B), which include ventilation shafts, the F Seam ventilation fan, mine dewatering and treatment facilities, substation; and other support facilities. Detailed descriptions of the Sylvester Gulch facilities are included in Exhibit 69. 2.05 -17 Rev. 06/05, 01106, 03106. 04106 & 05106- PRIG; 01109- MR350: 04109- TR116; 04109- MR353; 05109- MR354; 08109- TRI18: 08109- TR119