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readily adaptable to both heavy demand, and constrained demand, for coal. Market <br /> demand determines not only the volume of coal produced, but also determines the <br /> rate of production for each of the two coal beds being mined. <br /> These factors have proven difficult to anticipate. As a result, Mid-Continent has found it <br /> necessary to be highly adaptable in all aspects of the Coal Basin operations. <br /> Modernization of mine will allow for greater productivity and higher tonnages if market <br /> conditions are such that there is a demand for more coal production. From 1980-1986, <br /> the average annual production for the Coal Basin operation totalled 815,121 tons, <br /> which represents an increase over the 30-year average, although demand for coal has <br /> been constrained due to a downturn in the steel industry. <br /> Coal produced from the first year of production to the last full year of production prior <br /> to submittal of the application (1956 through 1986) totals 19,332,146 tons, an average <br /> of 644,404 tons per year. Production over the 30-year period for each of the <br /> two seams being mined totals 14,468,121 tons of coal from the lower B-bed seam; <br /> 4,864,625 million tons of coal from the upper, M-bed seam. <br /> During the first three quarters of 1987, the Coal Basin operations produced a total of <br /> 604,932 tons of coal, including 57,398 tons from the B-bed and 547,534 tons from the <br /> M-bed. <br /> Operations <br /> Mid-Continent utilizes both advancing and retreating configurations of longwall mining <br /> and continuous mining in the Coal Basin operations. <br /> The mining sequence entails driving main entry slopes with continuous mining <br /> machines, and then establishing either longwall faces or room-and-pillar sections. <br /> In addition to the actual cutting of coal, operations include the transport and <br /> preparation of the coal, and other essential support activities which take place both <br /> underground and on the surface. <br /> Mining is underground, and coal is transported from the faces to the surface through <br /> the Adit/Rock Tunnel. Underground support activities include ventilation, roof control, <br /> rock dusting and maintenance. <br /> The Adit/Rock Tunnel has been operational and in use since the fall of 1987. It extends <br /> to both seams being mined and intersects the workings reached by Entries #1 and #2. <br /> Additional work to be done on the Adit/Rock Tunnel includes driving lateral extensions <br /> to the workings of Entries #3, #4 and #5. At the time of permit application submittal <br /> (December, 1987), these are inactive due to constrained demand for coal. If reopened <br /> 13 <br />