PROPOSED G-AREA ASH DISPOSAL EXPANSION REVISION DOCKET NO. C9-0025-SC-34-B
Luminant Mining Company LLC (“Luminant”), 500 N. Akard Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 has submitted an application entitled Monticello-Winfield Mine, Permit 34E, Revision No. 14, (“Application”), to the Railroad Commission of Texas, Surface Mining and Reclamation Division (“Commission”) to revise existing Permit No. 34E.
The revision application proposes an expansion of the existing ash disposal operations within the G-Area mining pit. The existing ash disposal operation has been actively ongoing within the Monticello-Winfield Mine, G-Area pit since 1991, after receiving approval from both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT). An expansion of the original ash disposal area was also approved by both TCEQ and RCT State Agencies in 1997 and later again in 2005.
The existing ash disposal operations include a Primary Disposal Area and a Secondary Disposal Area. The Primary Disposal Area utilizes temporary railroad tracks to transport the ash into the active mining area where heavy mining equipment, such as the dragline and cross-pit spreader, positions this material into the reclaimed spoil to where there are suitable depths of reclaimed spoil above and below that are consistent with the State approved operations. The Secondary Disposal Area is used primarily as a back-up to the Primary Disposal Area whenever it is not physically feasible or possible to use the Primary Disposal Area, such as equipment or operational problems. The Secondary Disposal Area utilizes auxiliary mobile equipment to position the ash into the reclamation process that is also consistent with the State approved operations.
The proposal for expansion of the approved ash disposal area, as proposed by Revision Application No. 14, has already been approved by the TCEQ in July 2008 while this application is seeking RCT approval. The proposal contained in Revision Application No. 14 seeks to expand the ash placement operations to the north by approximately 3,000 feet and to the east by less than 1,000 feet. Luminant intends to honor and maintain the TCEQ approved 520-foot buffer zone around the perimeter of the proposed ash placement boundary. With this expansion, Luminant will have the option of using another final mine pit and two existing mine ramps within the mined-out area for placement of ash as shown on Plate 1-1 in Volume 2 of 2 of the application. Section .139, Appendix B (Volume 1 of 2) contains the updated Monticello-Winfield Ash Disposal Management Plan that describes in detail the Primary Disposal Area, Secondary Disposal Area, Storm Water Runoff Control Plan and Ash Area Reclamation Plan. Section .139, Appendix C, (beginning in Volume 1 of 2 and continuing in Volume 2 of 2), contains the TCEQ approval letter and the Supplemental Hydrogeological Study that supports Luminant’s expansion request. The approved TCEQ Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Plan for the Ash Disposal Area is shown on Figure 7-1, Section .139, Appendix C (Volume 1 of 2) in pending Revision Application No. 14. Other proposed revisions to Permit No. 34E, as a result of the modifications to the G-Area Ash Disposal Plan, include updates to post mine contours, post mine slopes and post mine land uses located in Section .139 and .147, respectively.
The Monticello-Winfield Mine is located in Titus and Franklin Counties near the town of Mt. Pleasant, Texas. From its intersection with Interstate Highway 30 about two miles west of Mt. Pleasant, the permit boundary runs north to U.S. Hwy. 67. The boundary then runs west along U.S. Hwy. 67 before turning north and intersecting with FM 1734. The permit boundary follows FM 1734 east to U.S. 271 then north along this road to Titus CR-1312 where the boundary runs east to Loop 419 (U.S. 271 Business). From Loop 419, the boundary follows public roads and surveyed lines in a north and east direction to its intersection with FM 1402 where the boundary turns north and follows this road to Titus CR-1670. From this point, the northern permit boundary follows public roads and surveyed lines in a south and west direction to its intersection with FM 1734. The boundary then runs to the west and south along FM 1734 to U.S. Hwy. 67 then easterly to Titus CR-1065 then southward to a point near Winfield, TX. The boundary then runs south and west to Franklin County Road SE 4130, and then south to near FM 21 where it turns east to near Lake Monticello. It then runs east along the Luminant Mining Rail Road to FM 127, and follows FM 127 northeast to a point about three fourths of a mile west of Titus County Road SW-35. The boundary then extends north to IH-30.
Permit 34E is contained within the following U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute Quadrangle maps for Texas: “New Hope,” “Monticello,” “Mt. Pleasant,” “Mt. Vernon,” “Winfield,” and “Wilkinson”. The location map printed with this public notice shows the existing Permit 34E boundary.
The Application is made pursuant to the Texas Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, TEX. NAT. RES. CODE ANN. Ch. 134 (Vernon Supp. 2010) and the Coal Mining Regulations, Texas Railroad Commission, 16 TEX. ADMIN. CODE (Ch. 12) (West Group 2010). Notice will be published once a week for four consecutive weeks. Requests for public hearing must be submitted within 45 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the Application within thirty days after the last publication of this notice. All written comments, objections, or requests for public hearing or informal conference on the revision application should be directed to:
Christopher S. Hotchkiss, Hearings Examiner
Office of General Counsel – Hearings Section
C/o Docket Services, Docket No. C9-0025-SC-34-B
Railroad Commission of Texas
P.O. Box 12967
Austin, Texas 78711-2967
A copy of the complete application, consisting of two (2) volumes, dated May 29, 2009 may be inspected in the main office of the Railroad Commission of Texas at 1701 North Congress, William B. Travis Building, Austin, Texas, or at the Commission’s Regional Office located at 2202 Old Henderson Highway, Tyler, Texas, or at the office of the County Clerk in the Titus County Courthouse, 100 West First Street, Mt. Pleasant, Texas 75455, or the office of the County Clerk in the Franklin County Courthouse, 200 North Kaufman Street, Mt. Vernon, Texas 75457.
This permit application may be supplemented from time to time, with supplemental or revised information (including revised maps, drawings and plates) placed in separate volumes and filed for public inspection. Interested persons should contact the Hearings Examiner or continue to check the public copies of the applications to determine the current status.
