Laserfiche WebLink
Maximum production rates in clean coal tons are expected to reach nearly 1,000,000 tons in <br />2011. The production estimates are dependent on demand and system capacity and may be <br />adjusted to economic conditions in the coal industry. In the early years, coal will be trucked <br />to the Jansen Yard loadout for transfer to rail. Clean coal production greater than 1.2 million <br />tons annually is expected to facilitate re- establishing rail transportation to the mine site. <br />(1) Production, Methods and Equipment <br />Mining is projected to commence in 2011 and reach an annual rate of 1,000,000 tons <br />per year. Mining equipment will consist of a continuous miners, diesel and/or electric <br />shuttle car haulage to a feeder breaker placing coal onto conveyor belt haulage in each <br />section. Coal will be transported to the surface by conveyor belt. <br />(2) Description of Surface Operations <br />The surface facilities associated with the New Elk Mine are show on Map 11— <br />Sheet 1 East Portal Roads, Slope Track and Cut Areas, Map 11 —Sheet 2 East Portal <br />Utilities, Map 11 —Sheet 3 Facilities, and Map 12 Surface Facilities and Roads West <br />Portal. The surface disturbance boundary is also shown on these maps. The New Elk <br />mining operations began in 1952 and the majority of surface facilities are built on <br />development refuse used as fill in the River Valley. Construction and placement of some of <br />the surface facilities took place prior to August 3, 1977. Major exceptions include the <br />preparation plant and associated facilities, sediment ponds, and Apache Canyon airshafts. <br />Individual facilities are indicated on Table 19 Surface Facilities List and shown on Maps <br />11 and 12. Reclamation of these facilities is discussed in subsequent sections of this <br />document. <br />Raw coal will be transported by conveyor belt to a raw coal stockpile. Raw coal will either <br />be loaded onto trucks or fed via conveyor belt into the preparation plant. Clean coal will be <br />transported from the plant to the clean coal storage stockpile via a conveyor belt. The <br />processed coal will be loaded onto trucks from the stockpile using a front -end loader and <br />shipped via Highway 12 to the Jansen Yard. Clean coal may also be. stored in the existing <br />coal silos and loaded directly to trucks or with the front -end loader. <br />The projected increase beyond one million tons will require the reinstallation of rail to the <br />mine site. A new unit train loadout will be constructed. These changes are not anticipated to <br />result in an increase in disturbed area and will be addressed in a permit revision. <br />During rehabilitation of the mine, a maximum of 10,000 cubic yards of development waste <br />material will be temporarily stored in the raw coal stockpile area, as shown on Map 11— <br />Sheet 3 Facilities. The timeframe for temporary storage is 30 days from the first placement <br />of development waste from underground rehabilitation or the time required for approval of a <br />permanent Development Waste Disposal Area (DWDA) south of Highway 12. The waste at <br />the raw coal pile will be stored in no more than 2- to 4 -ft lifts. If a second lift is necessary, <br />the first lift will be compacted using the rubber tires equipment traveling on the material to <br />further stabilize the temporary pile. The waste material is anticipated to be similar <br />PR02 Page 2.05 -3a Revised 5111 <br />