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iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Mountain Coal Company West Elk Mine Post Office Box 591 Somerset, Colorado 81434 Telephone 970 929-5015 Fax 970 929-5595 December 04, 1997 n _ (` n:_,~cll/r_ DEC 0 g 1997 Mr. David Berry DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Ot&ce of Mined Land Reclamation 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 Re: West Elk Mine, Permit No. C-80-007, NOV C-97-022 Dear Mr. Berry: l~iNicion at AAinerlls; a 1aHalraOy Mountain Coal Company (MCC) requests an extension of the completion date for abatement step No. 1 of Notice of Violation (NOV) C-97-022 to January 15, 1998. Continuing to pump water to the NW Panels sealed sump will allow MCC to dewater, prepare and line sediment pond MB-1 and fresh water pond FW-1. MCC is in the process of re-lining pond MB-1 with a I-IDPE liner material (replacing the geotextile clay liner). The clay liner has been ineffective in preventing leakage into the ground and contributing to serious mine site instability. As this liner will replace the current liner, no change is proposed in the pond reclamation plan. The south cell of the pond is now being cleaned and prepared for lining. During this process, any stormwater inflows into the main intake (although expected to be minimal at this time of year) will be routed through an existing pipe to the north cell, and then the south cell will provide this necessary function while the north cell is being lined. As shown in the pond designs in Exhibit 66, each cell has the capacity to contain a 10-yeaz, ~4-hout•s4orm event, so the pond will remain fully functional, as per Ml,l;~s n iv'v '~ '""" '1i^TO thic nTniPrr NN cµ y~., ,,,,., ., ..S ...... ~.. .,,---~ - _~. While preparing and lining pond FW-1, raw water from the river will be routed to one of the lined cells of pond MB-1 with temporary surface pipes and pumps. This temporary piping will be removed after lining is complete. MCC has been alternating the collection and treatment of mine water between ponds MB-1 and MB-2R. Pond MB-2R may still be utilrzed, but MCC needs to remove this additional volume from MB-1 as discussed above. As MCC holds a water right for mine water flows ("Mt. Gunnison Tunnel"), MCC has also diverted some of the clear mine water from the fault inflows to pond FW-1 for use in the mine. Per TR-80, MCC has determined that the NW Panels sealed sump has a capacity of approximately 375 acre-feet. MCC has calculated that the IONETG (a.k.a. 1NETG) sump (located adjacent to the B East Mains at the neck (south end) of this panel)