2011-05-18_PERMIT FILE - C1981012A ‎(12)‎

• Permit No: C1981012A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 5/18/2011
• Section_Exhibit Name: Section 2.05 Operation and Reclamation Plan
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

(1) Production, Methods and Equipment
Mining is projected to commence in 2011 and reach an annual rate of
1,000,000 tons per year. Mining equipment will consist of a continuous miners,
diesel and /or electric shuttle car haulage to a feeder breaker placing coal onto
conveyor belt haulage in each section. Coal will be transported to the surface by
conveyor belt.
(2) Description of Surface Operations
The surface facilities associated with the New Elk Mine are show on Map
11 —Sheet 1 East Portal Roads, Slope Track and Cut Areas, Map 11 —Sheet 2
East Portal Utilities, Map 11 —Sheet 3 Facilities, and Map 12 Surface Facilities
and Roads West Portal. The surface disturbance boundary is also shown on these
maps. The New Elk mining operations began in 1952 and the majority of surface
facilities are built on development refuse used as fill in the River Valley.
Construction and placement of some of the surface facilities took place prior to
August 3, 1977. Major exceptions include the preparation plant and associated
facilities, sediment ponds, and Apache Canyon airshafts. Individual facilities are
indicated on Table 19 Surface Facilities List and shown on Maps 11 and 12.
Reclamation of these facilities is discussed in subsequent sections of this document.
Raw coal will be transported by conveyor belt to a raw coal stockpile. Raw coal will
either be loaded onto trucks or fed via conveyor belt into the preparation plant.
Clean coal will be transported from the plant to the clean coal storage stockpile via a
conveyor belt. The processed coal will be loaded onto trucks from the stockpile
using a front -end loader and shipped via Highway 12 to the Jansen Yard. Clean coal
may also be stored in the existing coal silos and loaded directly to trucks or with the
front -end loader.
The projected increase beyond one million tons will require the reinstallation of rail
to the mine site. A new unit train loadout will be constructed. These changes are not
anticipated to result in an increase in disturbed area and will be addressed in a permit
revision.
During rehabilitation of the mine, a maximum of 10,000 cubic yards of development
waste material will be temporarily stored in the raw coal stockpile area, as shown on
Map 11 —Sheet 3 Facilities. The timeframe for temporary storage is 30 days from
the first placement of development waste from underground rehabilitation or the time
required for approval of a permanent Development Waste Disposal Area (DWDA)
south of Highway 12. The waste at the raw coal pile will be stored in no more than
2- to 4 -ft lifts. If a second lift is necessary, the first lift will be compacted using the
rubber tires equipment traveling on the material to further stabilize the temporary
pile. The waste material is anticipated to be similar
TR -56 Page 2.05 -3a Revised 4/29/11