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MOUNTAIN COAL <br />~~COMPANY~.~.~. <br />A Subsidiary ofAr<h Wertem Resources, LLC <br />West Elk Mine <br />POBOx 591 <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, W 81434 <br />(970) 929-5015 <br />Fax (970) 929-5595 <br />August 18, 2005 <br />Mr. Tom Kaldenbach <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) <br />Office of Mined Land Reclamation <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />RECEIVED <br />AUG 18 205 <br />Division ~f Minerals and Geology <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company LLC (MCC), West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-80-007; Minor <br />Revision No. 316 (MR-316), Methane Drainage Wells (MDWs)19-Ola, 20-O1 and ZO- <br />03. <br />Dear Mr. Kaldenbach, <br />Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. (MCC) proposes to drill these three MDWs in 2005 that were <br />not included in Minor Revision No. 306 (MR-306): <br />• MDW 19-Ola. This is a new well proposed to be drilled from an existing pad previously <br />used to drill wells MDWs 19-01, 19-02, and 19-03; <br />• MDWs 20-O1 and 20-03. These MDWs were approved in Technical Revision Number <br />96, but were not identified in MR-306 for drilling in 2005. <br />This Minor Revision is necessary because some faulting has been encountered within the mine <br />that resulted in higher than expected levels of methane. The requested minor revision will help <br />reduce this gas buildup and allow operations to proceed in a safe manner. <br />The locations of these three MDWs aze on National Forest lands in E 1/2 of Section 14, T. 13 S, <br />R. 90 W., 6~' P.M. The proposed project is within the current permitted coal mining azea <br />(CDMG Permit Number C-80-007) on Federal Coal Lease COC-56447, held by Mountain Coal <br />Company. Their locations aze depicted on the attached map. <br />Backeround. <br />MDW 19-Ola was not previously described in either MR-306 or TR-96 because it is intended to <br />assist in resolving a recently developed methane gas buildup caused by some faulting that has <br />occurred within the mine. MDW 19-01a will be drilled from an existing pad that was approved <br />in TR-96, and also by the USFS in the original Environmental Assessment titled, "Coal Methane <br />Drainage Project, Panels 16-24, Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine." The drilling of <br />