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March 18, 2015 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 N - Roads <br />N - Availability of Records N - Reclamation Success <br />N - Backfill & Grading N - Revegetation <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste N - Subsidence <br />N - Explosives R - Slides and Other Damage <br />R - Fish & Wildlife N - Support Facilities On -site <br />R - Hydrologic Balance N - Signs and Markers <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan N - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />N - Other N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />R - Processing Waste R - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />This was a partial inspection of the West Elk Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Kathy Welt and Jessica Loveland, representing Mountain Coal, LLC, <br />accompanied me on the inspection. The mine was actively producing and shipping coal. The mine was not <br />running the wash plant or hauling refuse to the RPEE. The weather was cool and cloudy and there was <br />intermittent rain. There was still snow on the ground on the north- facing slopes. <br />FISH and WILDLIFE — Rule 4.18: <br />- There was a small herd of elk on the ledge above HR -1 and the HR -I slide area. There were also elk tracks and <br />sign all over the reclaimed slopes of the RPE, RPEE and HR- I slide area. <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 well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. The emergency spillway is a <br />riprapped, open channel. It remains stable. <br />- The east cell of the RPE pond was full but not discharging at the time of the inspection. The west cell of the RPE <br />pond was basically dry. The pond embankments were stable and well vegetated and no erosional problems were <br />noted. <br />- Pond MB -3 contained water approximately two feet below the discharge pipe and was not discharging at the time <br />of the inspection. The pond was well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. <br />- Both cells of Pond MB -5E contained water approximately six feet below the emergency spillway. Neither cell <br />was discharging at the time of the inspection. The pond embankment was well vegetated and stable and no <br />erosional problems were noted. The emergency spillway for each cell is an open, riprapped channel. The <br />emergency spillways were both stable. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 6 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Page 2 of 12 <br />