Laserfiche WebLink
June 25, 2014 C- 1980- 007/West Elk Mine <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 />R - 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 />Y - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Support Facilities On -site <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />R - Signs and Markers <br />R - 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 />R - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />JRS <br />This was a complete inspection of the West Elk Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Jessica Loveland, representing Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC), <br />accompanied me on the inspection. Kathy Welt, also representing MCC, was present for the records check portion <br />of the inspection. The mine was actively producing and shipping coal. They were also producing refuse and <br />hauling it to the RPEE. The weather was hot and sunny and the ground was dry. <br />AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS — Rule 5.02.4(1): <br />- All of the necessary records were available in Kathy Welt's office in the main mine office building. Please see <br />the Division's Availability of Records form at the end of this inspection report for more detailed information. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.053; 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 <br />Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage — Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; <br />Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br />- The NSSA pond was dry at the time of the inspection. The pond embankment was well vegetated and stable and <br />no erosional problems were noted. <br />- Pond MB -3 contained water at a level of about three feet below the top and was not discharging at the time of the <br />inspection. The operator was filling a water truck with the water from the pond. West Elk has water rights for all <br />of the water in the ponds on the site. The pond embankment was well vegetated and stable and no erosional <br />problems were noted. <br />- Pond MB -4 contained water approximately 1 foot below the primary discharge pipe and was not discharging at <br />the time of the inspection. The pond is a concrete pond. It was stable. The presettling sump is also a concrete <br />pond. It contained water a few inches below the discharge pipe to MB -4. <br />- The south cell of Pond MB -5E contained water approximately four feet below the primary outfall. The west cell <br />contained water approximately ten feet below the primary outfall. Neither cell was discharging. West does not <br />have a permit to discharge from pond MB -5E and any discharge must be pumped up to pond MB -3. The pond <br />embankments were well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. Both cells have an <br />emergency spillway. The spillways are riprapped, open channels. They were both stable. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 11 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 <br />Page 2 of 14 <br />