2011-10-03_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C1981015

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McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment 2.3 Proposed Action Components 2.3.1 Mine Site CAM is proposing to expand the existing McClane Canyon Mine to increase coal production to 500,000 clean tons per year. The quality of the coal would be improved through a cleaning process. With mine expansion, there would be an estimated total of 25.3 acre -feet per year of water depletions as a result of surface and underground dust controls, evaporative losses from the sediment pond, and supplying water to the coal mine waste pile for compaction. Existing Mine Facilities. The existing Mine facilities at the McClane Canyon Mine occur on 9.36 acres and include: an office complex, a portal bench area, topsoil storage area, and an existing road (Haul Road #1) from the entrance of the Mine at State Highway 139 to the existing Mine facilities (Map 2). Surface disturbance associated with the office complex and the portal bench area, which occupy 0.53 acre and 2.85 acres, respectively, would not change. There is an existing .topsoil storage area and sediment pond, both of which would be affected by the proposed Mine expansion. Proposed Mine Facilities. Additional Mine facilities proposed would include a coal cleaning plant, a coal waste disposal area, a sediment pond, and a new road (Haul Road #2) extending from existing Haul Road #1 to the coal waste disposal area and sediment pond. To accommodate the proposed facilities, the existing power line for the Mine site would also be rerouted (Map 2). Coal Cleaning Plant. The coal cleaning plant would require 1.49 acres of new disturbance for facilities and coal storage piles. A 660 foot long arch pipe (71 x 47 -inch or 5 -foot round equivalent) would be installed in McClane Creek to provide room for the coal cleaning plant on adjacent land, as well as above McClane Creek. The culvert has been designed to safely pass flows from a 100 -year storm event. The coal cleaning plant would consist of eight beltlines, a crushing and screening plant, an air jig plant, and two coal storage piles (run -of -mine and clean coal). Coal Mine Waste Disposal Area. Coal mine waste would be generated at the coal cleaning plant and from roof falls and construction at the Mine, and temporarily stockpiled at respective locations. Stockpiled coal mine waste material would be loaded into 10 -wheel and /or 35 to 50 ton haul trucks and transported to the permanent coal mine waste disposal area. The coal mine waste pile would require 13.61 acres of new disturbance for approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of waste over the life of the Proposed Action. Deposition of waste material would be phased, initially depositing coal on the north end with final deposition occurring on the south end of the disposal area. The waste pile would be approximately 100 feet high and no steeper than a 3 horizontal to 1 vertical (3h:1v) slope with 15 -foot wide terraces on 50 -foot vertical intervals. Terraces would slope 5 percent back towards the waste pile and 2 to 5 percent towards collection ditches that lead to the sediment collection pond. The top of the pile would slope from west to east. The coal mine waste pile would be plated with 3.1 feet of cover and 0.9 feet of topsoil. Cover material would initially be obtained from the foundation of the coal mine waste disposal area and then from the expanded stockpile. During operations, the coal mine waste pile would be vegetated after the pile reaches the first 50 foot bench and the pile progresses south. Expanded Topsoil Stockpile. The existing disturbance associated with the topsoil stockpile, construction materials storage stockpile and sediment pond area encompasses approximately 1.7 acres. The existing disturbance associated with that area will be expanded to approximately 9 See Appendix P, McClane Canyon Mining, LLC Permit Revision Application Number 2. 9