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UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

This mining plan approval document is issued by the United States of America to: 

Signal Peak Energy, LLC.

100 Portal Drive 

Roundup, MT 59072

for a mining plan modification for Federal lease MTM-97988 at the Bull Mountains Mine No.1. 

This mining plan approval supersedes the mining plan modification originally approved on 

February 24, 2015, and supplements all previous mining plan approvals for the Bull Mountains 

Mine No.1. Signal Peak Energy, LLC. is hereinafter referred to as the operator. The approval is 

subject to the following conditions. 

1. Statutes and Regulations. This mining plan approval is issued pursuant to Federal Coal 

Lease MTM-97988; the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.); 

and in the case of acquired lands, the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947, as 

amended (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.) This mining plan approval is subject to all applicable laws 

and regulations of the Secretary of the Interior which are now or hereafter in force; and all 

such laws and regulations are made part hereof. The operator shall comply with the 

provisions of the Federal Water Pollution and Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), the Clean 

Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), and other applicable Federal laws. 

2. This document approves the mining plan modification for Federal lease MTM-97988 at the 

Bull Mountains Mine No.1 and authorizes coal development or mining operations on the 

Federal leases within the area of mining approval. This authorization expands the approved 

mining plan area into the following Federal coal lands: 

Federal Lease MTM-97988 

TOWNSHIP 6 NORTH, RANGE 27 EAST, PMM

SECTION 4 - LOT 1, S1/2, SE1/4 NW1/4, S1/2 NE1/4 

SECTION 8 - S1/2, S1/2 NW1/4, NE1/4 NW1/4, NE1/4 

SECTION 10 - S1/2, NW1/4, S1/2 NE1/4, NW1/4 NE1/4 

SECTION 14 - S1/2, NW1/4, SW1/4 NE1/4 

SECTION 22 - S1/2, NW1/4 

WHICH IS ALSO LOCATED WITHIN THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PERIMETER:
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BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE NORTHEASTERN PERMIT BOUNDARY OF 

BULL MOUNTAINS MINE NO. 1, AMENDMENT 02, (MINING PERMIT C1993017) 

WHICH IS 1313.41' SOUTHEASTERLY OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAID 

PERMIT BOUNDARY; THENCE N56°13'54"E A DISTANCE OF 11,134.04'; THENCE 

S33°46'06"E A DISTANCE OF 19,698.00'; THENCE S56°13'54"W A DISTANCE OF 

11,134.04' TO A POINT ON SAID NORTHEASTERN PERMIT BOUNDARY; THENCE 

N33°46'06"W, ALONG SAID NORTHEASTERN PERMIT BOUNDARY, A DISTANCE 

OF 19,698.00' TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. 

These lands encompass approximately 1,725 federal coal acres and are shown on the map 

appended hereto as Attachment A.

3. The operator shall conduct coal development and mining operations only as described in the 

complete permit application package, and approved by the Montana Department of 

Environmental Quality Industrial and Energy Minerals Bureau Coal Program, except as 

otherwise directed in the conditions of this mining plan approval. 

4. The operator shall comply with the terms and conditions of the lease, this mining plan 

approval, and the requirements of Montana Permit No. C1993017 issued under the Montana 

State program, approved pursuant to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 

1977 (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.).

5. This mining plan approval shall be binding on any person conducting coal development or 

mining operations under the approved mining plan and shall remain in effect until 

superseded, canceled, or withdrawn.

6. If, during mining operations, unidentified prehistoric resources are discovered, the operator 

shall ensure that the resources are not disturbed and shall notify the Montana Department of 

Environmental Quality Industrial and Energy Minerals Bureau Coal Program and the Office 

of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). The operator shall take such 

actions as are required by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Industrial and 

Energy Minerals Bureau Coal Program in coordination with OSMRE. 

7. The operator shall ensure that unevaluated sites 24ML667, 24ML940, 24ML942 and 

24ML949 are not affected by surface disturbance activities. 
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8. The Secretary retains jurisdiction to modify or cancel this approval, as required, on the basis 

of further consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursuant to section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.