Two Massey Coal Company operations in Kentucky were faced with a dilemma regarding coal refuse disposal. Fine coal refuse disposal capacity was nearing depletion at the slurry impoundment of Company "A" requiring them to build a new impoundment in Sukey Branch. A nearby plant/impoundment operated by another Massey company - Company "B"- had life-of-mine capacity available for fine refuse, but coarse refuse disposal capacity was limited, requiring them to eventually have to build a new coarse refuse fill in an adjacent hollow. The two coal preparation plants are only a few miles apart, but are separated by mountainous terrain.

GA assisted Massey in the development of a mutually beneficial plan to address the refuse disposal problems of the two operations. Key to the plan was the presence of underground mines in the Pond Creek coal seam which both companies were mining. A slurry pipeline was installed through the deep mine workings that extend between the two plants. For the next 10 years, fine refuse will be pumped intermittently through the pipeline from the Company "A" plant to the Company "B" Slurry Impoundment. By only having to dispose of a portion of their fine refuse on-site, Company "A" can continue using their existing impoundment for 10 years.

Coarse refuse produced at the Company "B" Plant will be used to raise their slurry impoundment to the top of the ridge to provide 10 years of fine refuse disposal capacity for both plants. Afterwards, the Sukey Branch Slurry Impoundment will be built near the Company "A" plant. Coarse refuse from Company "A" will be used to build the new dam in Sukey Branch. The pumps used to transport fine refuse from Company "A" to Company "B" will be reconfigured to pump fine refuse from Company "B" to Company "A" through the same pipeline in the mine. Fine refuse from both plants will then be pumped to the Sukey Branch Impoundment, which will be built using coarse refuse from Company "A", and will provide life of mine disposal for the two operations. Company "B" will dispose of their coarse refuse on-site by capping their impoundment and converting it to a coarse refuse fill that will extend above the level of the top of the ridge.