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i <br /> facility at Carbondale. At the loadout facility the trucks end <br /> 'dump the coal into a dump hopper. Belt conveyors then transport <br /> the coal to a covered storage facility from which it can be <br /> loaded into rail cars . <br /> In addition to the actual cutting, removal <br /> and preparation of the coal, several other essential support <br /> activities are taking place both above and below ground . The <br /> major ancillary underground activities include ventilation, roof <br /> control, dust supression, water control, rock dusting and main- <br /> tenance. Surface activities, in addition to handling and proces- <br /> sing the coal, include maintenance of roads, disposal of coal <br /> refuse and other solid and liquid waste, air and water quality <br /> control, security and personnel management. <br /> (2) Room and pillar mining <br /> Mid-Continent employes a standard room and <br /> pillar mining system with necessary innovations dictated by the <br /> particular properties and geology of the coal beds in Coal Basin. <br /> The coal property to be worked is divided and sub-divided into <br /> mine areas by driving sets of entries in the seam on an estab- <br /> lished pattern. The number of entries in a set is determined by <br /> the requirements of ventilation, haulage corridors, escapeways, <br /> power requirements and water drainage. A" set of main entries or <br /> headings (5 to 7) are driven from the outcrop to provide for <br /> adequate, long term mine ventilation requirements . The distance <br /> between entries are selected to insure that the pillars or blocks <br /> of coal formed by the entries and the crosscuts are of sufficient <br />