January 27, 1997

BIGGEST HYDRAULIC SHOVEL IN THE NORTHWEST

Hitachi EX3500-3 shovel going through its paces at recent commissioning.

CENTRALIA -- The largest hydraulic shovel in the Northwest is now at work at the Centralia coal mine.

The Hitachi EX3500-3 shovel was sold to the Centralia Mining Co. by Seattle-based Totem Equipment Co.

Only ten EX3500-3s have been produced by Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. The price: $3.5 million.

The 370-ton mining shovel is helping dig a new coal pit adjacent to the Centralia steam-electric plant on Big Hanaford Road. The EX3500-3 can scoop 34,000 tons of coal plus 30,000 cubic yards of dirt a day.

The Totem team assembled inside the shovel bucket: Front row, left to right, are Becky Huntsman, Leone Williams, Sonja Wheatly, Wendy Hudspeth, Kevin Goetz and Stephanie Nolander. Back row, left to right: Calvin Dansereau, Curt Rehfeldt, Tom Williams, Dave Chappell, Jim Rutherford, Gary Norton, Art Stewart, Gregg Anstensen and Gary Tondini.

Other equipment at the mine includes three electric shovels and a 10-year-old hydraulic shovel.

The two current coal pits at the mine are 400 feet deep, have been in operation for 15 years and are running out of coal. With the third pit, it is estimated there is enough coal to last until the year 2020.

There had been speculation about the mine's future because of recent pollution-related lawsuits against the adjacent steam plant which buys all the mine's coal.

Last year the Centralia mine produced 4.4 million tons of coal. With the new shovel, the output is expected to increase to 5 million tons. About 500 people work at the mine.

The two older pits will be phased out over the next five to

Left to right are Tom Williams, sales manager for Totem Equipment; John Howlett, production pit foreman for Centralia Mining Co.; Bart Heita, mine manager for CMC; Gabriel Sanchez, first shift operator, CMC; Jerry Randecker, president - Hitachi; Phil Jaramillo, purchasing manager, CMC; and Jim Herrington, production maintenance manager for CMC.

eight years as the new pit is dug. Other pits may be added later.

Delivering and setting up the shovel was quite a job in itself, explains Tom Williams, sales manager at Totem Equipment. Twelve trucks were needed to deliver the behemoth to Centralia from an international mining equipment show in Las Vegas. Ten people spent two weeks assembling it.

The EX3500-3 has a 51-foot-reach shovel and 1760 HP engine. The loading shovel has an operating weight of 736,000 lbs., the backhoe, 728,000 lbs.

Shovel bucket capacity is 26.2 cu. yds., the backhoe bucket, 22.2-32.7 cu. yds.

The operator must climb down 25 feet from the shovel cab to the ground.