2012-05-30_PERMIT FILE - C1981012A (2)

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east mains will be developed and pillared. A second long panel will be developed to the south of the east mains as shown on Map 3. The Blue Seam Mine plan is shown on a separate view port on Map 3 since nearly the entire Blue Seam Mine plan is underlain by future workings in the Apache and Allen Seams. No secondary mining is planned in any area where protection from subsidence of surface structures is required. Production estimates are dependent on demand and system capacity and may be adjusted to economic conditions in the coal industry. In the early years, coal will be trucked to the Jansen Yard loadout for transfer to rail. Clean coal production greater than 1.2 million tons annually is expected to facilitate re- establishing rail transportation to the mine site. (1) Production, Methods and Equipment Mining is projected to commence in 2011 and reach an annual rate of 1,000,000 tons per year the following 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. The Operator will use a feeder breaker and elevating belt to load the RDA conveyor with development waste material. The loading point is north of the river in a runoff containment area located east of topsoil stockpile No. 2. A temporary feeder breaker and temporary elevating belt will be utilized to load the RDA conveyor. 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 MR -101 2.05 -3a Revised 10/21/11