_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (210)

Home Browse Search

Huntsman/Old Refuse Pile. The Huntsman Project was conducted on a portion of the Old Refuse Pile that, while within the Mid Continent permit area, was exempted from reclamation liability, as it was not affected by mining operations after July 1977. Mining impacted areas that have not been disturbed by an active mining operation subsequent to July, 1977 are not required to be reclaimed by the mining company. These areas, known as "Pre-Law" disturbances, are eligible to be reclaimed by the State using monies set aside by the Federal government for just this purpose. The Huntsman and two other areas within the Coal Basin Mine permit area were eligible for reclamation funding under this pre-law concept. The Inactive Mines Program using Federal grant money designed, funded and constructed the Huntsman reclamation project. The purpose of the project was to alleviate steep slopes and reduce the potential for a massive failure of a coal waste disposal facility into Coal Creek. The slope of the Old Refuse Pile was reduced to a stable average 2H : IV configuration. Topsoil was placed over the cut slope, and the project area was scarified, seeded and mulched. Approximately 53,000 cubic yards of refuse cut from the outslopes of the Old Refuse Pile was hauled and placed over the concrete debris, generated during the Wash Plant Demolition project, at the toe of the north facing cut slope south of the former location of the thermal dryer and wash plant. The Huntsman Project was conducted on public property managed by the U. S. Forest Service. Dutch Creek Diversion. DRMS applied for, and received, a grant from OSM to replace the problem-prone Dutch Creek flume with a permanent, naturally functioning channel. The grant mechanism used for this project was a Civil Penalty fund administered by the Office of Surface Mining. The Office of Surface Mining redistributes money it collects from monetary penalties levied against out of compliance coal mining operations. These are provided via grants to various states solely for the purpose of accomplishing reclamation at sites where inadequate funding is available. The new Dutch Creek channel was designed and constructed so that it mimicked the stream characteristics of the stream above the flume. The channel was constructed in the fall of 1998 to take advantage of low flow conditions, and when completed, diverted the Dutch Creek flow upstream of the flume. This project was conducted primarily on public property managed by the U. S. Forest Service; however, the upper portion of the diversion channel is located on private property. 13