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Mine is abandoned, no construction of underground retaining wall will be necessary for <br />placement of the fine refuse material. The operation is not anticipated to change the existing <br />condition of the mine and will not have an effect on the surface area supported by the mine or <br />surface effects following backfilling. <br />The source of hydraulic transport medium for the slurry will be the makeup water pumped to the <br />prep plant which will be obtained from the existing mine pool in the underground workings. <br />Probing the clean water recycling hole (INEW -4) has indicated that approximately 50 feet of <br />water is available in that area of the mine pool for return to the prep plant. Initial makeup water <br />will be the water already in the Prep Plant obtained from the Purgatoire River from Basin's <br />existing water rights. The method to be used to dewater the refuse fines is to pump the water <br />back to the Prep Plant from New -4. <br />Hydrologic impacts and monitoring are described under Section 2.05.6. <br />2.05.4 Reclamation Plan <br />(a) Timetable <br />Operations at the New Elk Coal Processing facility are in part dependent on reopening the New <br />Elk Mine or receiving coal from nearby mines for processing and shipment. The Golden Eagle <br />and Lorencito Surface mines are now in varying stages of final reclamation and no longer are a <br />source of coal for processing and shipment. It is unknown at this time if market conditions will <br />justify opening an underground mine at the Lorencito Reserve Base. Opening an underground <br />mining complex at Lorencito will require the reinstallation of the rail line from Jansen as well as <br />a prep plant and loadout facility. The economics of a new facility at Lorencito versus reopening <br />the New Elk Complex will need to be evaluated if the decision is made to develop the Lorencito <br />reserve. Thus, the exact timetable for reclamation activities is dependent on coal production and <br />marketing which is impossible to predict at this time. <br />Many of the obsolete facilities at the West Portal have been reclaimed. The East Portal facilities <br />are in the process of being upgraded in anticipation of renewed coal production from the New <br />Elk Mine, East Portal. <br />The RDA is the only facility at the New Elk Mine requiring contemporaneous reclamation as <br />respective benches are completed. Seeding and mulching is required by the first planting season <br />after bench completion and topsoiling. Should the RDA require reclamation prior to reaching its <br />full design capacity, an alternative final reclamation plan will be developed and submitted as a <br />technical revision. Drainage on the upper bench is designed to direct drainage away from the <br />front slope and toward the back and side perimeter ditches, eventually channeling the water to <br />the armored down - drains and to pond 8. Slopes will be minimized while positive drainage <br />maintained. This will significantly reduce erosion and sediment accumulation in Pond 8 while <br />preparing the RDA for final cover and topsoil if the decision is made not to reopen the <br />preparation plant. <br />A listing of all facilities and structures to be ultimately removed at the New Elk Mine can be <br />found in Exhibit 28, Bond Calculations. The operator plans to salvage all iron and <br />• <br />TR -53 2.05 -44c revised 115111 <br />