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<br />111E-20-2001 FRI 03;17 PM <br />Jul 20 O1 11:51a <br />FAX N0, <br />PFt1tiIH RflnGER DISTRICT <br />P, 02 <br />970-527-4151 p.2 <br />III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII <br />DECISION MEMO <br />Mountain Coal Company Gob Vent Borehole Drilling <br />on Sile 14-OS <br />USDA-Forest Service <br />Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests <br />Paonia Ranger District <br />Gunnison County, Colotado <br />I. INTliO•DUCTION <br />Mountain Coal Company (MCC) operates the West Elk Mine, an underground coal mine <br />Haar the towtr of Suiuersa[, in Gunnison County, Colorado. MCC mines coal from <br />several federal leases, some of which underlie surface lands that are administered by the <br />USDA-Forest Service, Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest (GMUG), <br />Paonia Ranger District <br />MCC informed the GMUG on March 21, 2001 that they were experiencing problems <br />with excessive methane gas buildup in the underground wino. The rctine's existing <br />ventilation system is unable to adequately remove the methant from the workings to keep <br />the gas level within a safe operating range. MCC had been trying vuious other methods, <br />including installing horizontal drill holes into the coal seam to liberate and coatrol the <br />methatle gas. The mine has been periodically shut down by the Mining Safety and FIealth <br />Adnrinisttation (MSIiA) over the past few months to al]ow the methane levels to reduce <br />to safe concentrations. MSHA placed the mine under shut down orders because of the <br />imminent danger to health and safety dLie to the high concentrations of methane. <br />Producfioa activity has been allowed only when the methane ~?as levels fall to safe <br />concentrations. <br />MCC requested another proposal to install gob ventilation boreholes from the land <br />sttrfacc to assist in liberating the methane gas (see Section II). <br />II. PROPOSED ACTION <br />The proposed action is to install 1 vertical and/or shat gob ventilation borehole (GVB) <br />from 1 location on the land surface into the underground mine for the purpose of <br />libet•ating metltatle gas. The proposed GVB would be used to liberate methane tom <br />longwall panel 14. <br />The hole would be drilled on National Forest System lands in the same immediate area as. <br />previously appe•oved pad Locations (Decision Memo signed July 6, 2001 and Apri14, <br />2001}, proposed drill hole 14-OS is located in the West Flatiron troad near drillitla, pad <br />