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Apri122, 2014 C- 1980- 007/West Elk Mine JRS <br />Inspection Topic Summary <br />NOTE: Y= Inspected N =Not Inspected R= Comments Noted V= Violation Issued NA =Not Applicable <br />N - Air Resource Protection <br />R - Roads <br />N - Availability of Records <br />N - Reclamation Success <br />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Revegetation <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - Explosives <br />R - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />N - Support Facilities On -site <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />N - Other <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />R - Processing Waste <br />N - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />This was an aerial inspection of the West Elk Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Harry Ranney, also with the Division, took the photographs. The West Elk <br />Mine is currently operational, mining and shipping coal. The weather was clear and there was some snow on the <br />ground at the time of the inspection. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, <br />4.05.6; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring <br />4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage — Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments 4.05.6, <br />4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br />- The east cell of the RPE Pond was full at the time of the inspection. The west cell of the RPE Pond contained a <br />small amount of water at the time of the inspection. West Elk uses this water for processing water in the coal <br />wash plant so the pond was probably not discharging. The pond is an incised, lined pond. The pond was stable <br />and the surrounding area was well vegetated. There were no erosional problems noted in or around either pond <br />cell. <br />- Both freshwater ponds, FW -1 and FW -2, contained water. They both appeared to be a bit low at the time of the <br />inspection. The ponds are both lined ponds. The ponds were well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems <br />were noted. <br />- The mine dewatering ponds along the Sylvester Gulch haul road both contained water below the top. Neither <br />pond appeared to be discharging at the time of the inspection. The ponds are lined ponds. The pond areas were <br />well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. <br />PROCESSING WASTE /COAL MINE WASTE PILES — Rule 4.10 and 4.11 <br />Drainage Control; Surface Stabilization; Placement: <br />- The RPE had several piles of refuse that was being stored there (probably until it can be moved up to the RPEE). <br />This temporary storage is approved in the West Elk Mine permit. There was no water on the surface of the pile. <br />The reclaimed slopes of the pile were well vegetated and stable. The slopes that were just seeded in the fall of <br />2013 do not show any new growth but it is still early in the growing season. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 9 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Page 2 of 8 <br />