Laserfiche WebLink
October 28, 2014 C- 1981 - 022 /Elk Creek 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 />N - 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 />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Support Facilities On -site <br />N - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />V - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />N - Other <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />N - Processing Waste <br />N - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />This was a partial inspection of the Elk Creek Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Jim Kiger, representing Oxbow Mining, LLC, accompanied me on the <br />inspection. Also accompanying us on the inspection were Christine Belka and Spencer Shumate, both <br />representing the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM). The main reason for this <br />inspection was a special focus inspection on gob vent boreholes (GVB). The inspection focused on both active <br />and reclaimed GVB's, including the active GVB's in longwall panels 18 and 19 and a random sampling of <br />reclaimed GVB's in longwall panels 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17. Additionally, several of the drill holes related <br />to the mine fire were inspected. The mine is currently not operational due to a fire in the gob, believed to be <br />behind the longwall in panel 18. As such, the Elk Creek Mine is operating on a very small staff. The weather <br />during the inspection was warm and sunny and the ground was dry. <br />SUPPORT FACILITIES - Rule 4.04: <br />- GVB 19 -01C was drilled and temporarily capped but did not appear to have the annulus grouted to the surface. <br />The drill pad was stable and had a berm around it. There appeared to be positive drainage off of the pad. There <br />were straw wattles in the drainage ditch and several along the outslope of the pad. The wattles along the outslope <br />were broken in places and filled in with sediment in other places. These need to be maintained as required. The <br />topsoil stockpile had some vegetation but could probably benefit from being reseeded. There was a sign in place <br />on the topsoil stockpile. There were no offsite impacts noted at this GVB. <br />- GVB 19 -01B was drilled and temporarily capped but did not appear to have the annulus grouted to the surface. <br />The drill pad was stable and had a partial berm around it. There appeared to be positive drainage off of the pad. <br />There were straw wattles in the drainage ditch and several along the outslope of the pad. There were two topsoil <br />stockpiles. Both had some vegetation but could probably benefit from being reseeded. There was a fair amount of <br />late- emerging thistle on the stockpiles that will need to be sprayed early next spring. There were a signs in place <br />on the topsoil stockpiles. There were no offsite impacts noted at this GVB. <br />- GVB 19 -01D was drilled and temporarily capped but did not appear to have the annulus grouted to the surface. <br />The drill pad was stable and had a partial berm around it. There appeared to be positive drainage off of the pad. <br />There were straw wattles in the drainage ditch and several along the outslope of the pad. The topsoil stockpile had <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 <br />Page 2 of 34 <br />