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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 - Availability of Records <br />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Explosives <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />R - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />R - Processing Waste <br />N - Roads <br />N - Reclamation Success <br />N - Revegetation <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Support Facilities On -site <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />N - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />N - Topsoil <br />COMNIENTS <br />This was a partial inspection report of the West Elk Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Kathy Welt and Jessica Loveland, both representing Mountain Coal, LLC, were <br />present on the inspection. The mine is actively producing and shipping coal. The weather was cool and claer and <br />the ground was partially coveren in snow (mainly at higher elevations). <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 />- Pond SG -I contained a small pool of water and was not discharging at the time of the inspection. The pond <br />embankment was covered with snow but appeared to be stable. No erosional problems were noted. <br />- Both cells of the RPE pond were basically dry at the time of the inspection. The pond embankments were stable <br />and no erosional problems were noted. <br />- The roadside ditches to the Sylvester Gulch facilities area were all clean and well maintained. There were no <br />erosional problems noted. These ditches will be ready for teh spring snow melt season. <br />GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLIANCE: <br />- The operator was mining in longwall panel E5 between cross -cuts 35 and 36 (at station 64 +80). They were <br />doing development work in the start room for longwall panel E6 and were just past cross -cut 2 (the development <br />work in the headgate has been completed). They were also doing development work in the E -South Mains and <br />were just entering the headgate for longwall panel ET All of the mining and development work was progressing <br />as permitted and shown on approved Map 51 - E -Seam Projected Operations. <br />PROCESSING WASTE /COAL MINE WASTE PILES — Rule 4.10 and 4.11 <br />Drainage Control; Surface Stabilization; Placement: <br />- The operator was just finishing the work to close -up the RPEE for the winter. They have spread and compacted <br />all of the refuse and installed silt fence at the upper edge of the pile. They also worked on ditch maintenance to be <br />ready for the spring runoff. They completed the subsoil replacement, topsoil replacement and seeding of the first <br />three lifts of the RPEE but were only able to complete the coconut fiber matting of the first two lifts (the third lift <br />was started but conditions deteriorated, making the work to dangerous). The remaining areas will be matted as <br />weather permits this spring. <br />- There was a small pile of clean coal on the RPE that will be trucked back to the coal stockpiles and shipped. The <br />rest of the pile was well graded, with no signs of any water pooling. The reclaimed slopes were stable, with no <br />erosional problems noted. <br />