The proposed mine site is situated within the Cumberland Block. The Cumberland Block is bounded by the Pine Mountain Fault Zone to the west, the Jacksboro Tear Fault to the south, the Cumberland Mountains to the east, and extends north into Kentucky.

Regionally, strata dips to the northwest, away from the Cumberland Mountains. South of Clear Fork Creek there is a northeast trending syncline that extends for about seven miles diagonally across the Eagan quadrangle, which is part of the Middlesboro Syncline. Paralleling this syncline is the Sand Lick Ridge Anticline, which extends for approximately the same distance as the adjacent syncline and is approximately 1.2 miles wide. Southeast of this anticline, along Tackett Creek, is an area of highly disturbed rock with numerous folds and near vertical bedding which is thought to be the surface exposure of a steeply dipping reverse fault. The local dip of the coal seams to be mined is approximately 0.4 degree to the southeast.

The mine site stratigraphy consists of sedimentary units within the Slatestone and Indian Bluff Groups. These units are within the middle Pennsylvanian age rocks and are a relatively flat lying and undisturbed rock group. The Slatestone Formation includes all strata between the top of the Poplar Creek Coal seam and the top of the Jellico (locally known as the Mingo or Mason) Coal seam. Included in this formation are the Poplar Creek, Ant, Coal Creek (locally known as the Kent), Petros, ........

The proposed mine site has been previously affected by pre-law coal mining activities. Approximately 5.1 miles of the pre-existing highwall exposed at numerous locations exists within the proposed permit boundary.

The mine is expected to have an average annual production of approximately 360,000 tons and life-of-mine production of approximately 3.3 million tons.

The Cooper Ridge Mine proposes to utilize the contour surface mining, auger mining, and underground mining methods on the Jellico coal seam at elevations that vary from approximately 1,742 ft. at the western end of the proposed permit area to 1,847 ft. at the eastern end of the proposed permit area. Kopper Glo Mining, LLC will utilize bulldozers, front-end loaders, trucks, and graders for mining and reclamation operations within the proposed permit area.

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