2014-07-01_INSPECTION - C1981041

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June 11, 2014 C-1981-041/Roadside Portals MPB indicated he believed were subsidence related. One location on the Fontanari property appears to be a reclaimed vent shaft that shows signs of erosion and slumping (see Photograph No 1). The majority of the inspection focused on viewing the water application that Mr. Fontanari was implementing on his property and on the adjacent land to the west owned by Mr. Jason Carey. When we arrived at the site we noted water from his headgate on Rapid Creek (Photograph No 2). Mr. Fontanari stated that he has a water right from Rapid Creek and that he had been running the water out to this location for approximately four weeks. He stated that it was flowing at around 4 cfs, but based on visual inspection it appeared to be somewhat less than that. The water was flowing from his existing ditch that had recently been cleaned out into the pond on the Carey property (Carey Pond). We observed that the Carey Pond had recently been enlarged by more than twice its prior size and the excavated material was stockpiled around and to the north of the pond. The pond was nearly full of water (see Photograph No 3). We also noted that Mr. Fontanari dug a new ditch (Photo No 4) that is perpendicular to the existing ditch and runs to the north approximately 350 feet towards I-70 and the South Portal area. At the end of the ditch it turns 90 degrees to the west and terminates at about the property line with adjacent Carey property. It was estimated that approximately 2cfs were flowing to the Carey Pond and as much as 1 cfs was flowing in the new ditch. The water at the end of the new ditch that runs to the north and turns abruptly to the west seemed to disappear into the ground (see Photo No 5). The location where the water is seeping into the ground is above in elevation and to the southwest of the South Portal backfill. The dip of the coal and surrounding strata in this locale is to the northeast, so the water application is immediately up gradient of the South Portal. The inspection then continued down to the South Portal where we noted a higher than usual flow in the French drain that drains from the portal backfill. The flow was significantly high such that there was flowing water in the ditch that conveys the French drain down to the road crossing and then below to the toe of the RSRDA. This is the most water that we have noticed in the French drain ditch seeping from the portal backfill material since it was installed. We looked for evidence of seepage in the outcrop and surrounding strata above and to the sides of the portal area but did not note any evidence of water. We proceeded around the toe of the refuse pile to Outfall 009 (site of reclaimed Pond 009) and saw that there was significant flow in the ditch such that it was making it to the culvert that goes under I-70 and off of the permit boundary. I returned to the site on June 12th to photograph the site. All of the photos referenced herein were taken on June 12, 17, and 24, 2014. On June 17, 2014 I was notified by Tonya Hammond of SCC that the flow had increased significantly over the weekend and that she felt I should come out and meet with her and Jim Stover at the site to inspect the seepage from the South Portal. The flow was substantially greater and appeared to be flowing at about 60 gpm in the French drain ditch. We also noted seepage from the base of concrete abutment north of the backfill and from the south side of the backfill material itself. On the south side of the backfill, the slope was saturated up to a height of 7 feet. -11 show the South Portal backfill seeps and discharge from French drain to Outfall 009. After consultation with DRMS supervisors we decided to place a call to Mr. Fontanari and ask him to shut the water off that is flowing in the ditches to avoid any further saturation of the portal backfill. We were able to Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 8 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 312 Page of