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BOWIE RESOURCES, LLC <br />Bowie No. 2 Mine <br />Coal Mine Waste Bank Nos. 1, 2, & 3 Inspections - 1st Quarter 2015 <br />On March 18, 2015 a visual inspection of the Bowie No. 2 Mine coal mine waste banks <br />was performed by the undersigned in accordance with Rule 4.10.2. This inspection <br />includes Gob Pile Nos. 1, 2, and 3. Pile No. 1 is considered inactive. Pile no. 2 is <br />located north of Bowie Road. Pile no. 3 is located south of Bowie Road. <br />I, Tamme Bishop, P.E., have a wide variety of experience in the design and <br />construction of earth fill embankments. Nothing was observed during the inspection <br />that would indicate the piles have a potential for failure. No seepage was noted at the <br />toe of pile no.2. Gob Pile #3 had several damp spots at the toe near the center of the <br />pile. It is unclear if the damp spots are from snow melt, or the gob dewatering. The <br />damp spots will be monitored closely during upcoming inspections. The underdrain at <br />gob pile #3 began flowing again in February. Processing of winter stockpiled gob has <br />begun at both gob piles #2 and #3. All organic material and topsoil has been removed <br />ahead of the waste bank founding. The diversion ditches at gob pile #2 were <br />inspected, both lower and upper, and found to be in good condition. The upper and <br />lower diversion ditches at gob pile #3 were inspected, and were in good condition. <br />At gob pile #2, the first bench east of the haul road is covered with soil. The second <br />bench east of the haul road is mostly covered with a subsoil pile. Most of the third and <br />forth benches east of the road are covered with soil. Soil has been placed on most of <br />the second and third benches west of the haul road. <br />The new East Diversion ditch at gob pile #2 was re- located higher up on the hillside in <br />January. It has been inspected in accordance with Rule 4.09.1 (11) and is in <br />compliance with the approved design. <br />Most of the coal mine waste was generated from the preparation plant. Approximately <br />240,922 tons of gob were hauled to the gob pile #3 drying area. Coal mine waste is to <br />be placed in the piles in approximately horizontal lifts no more than 24- inches thick. <br />The coal mine waste is dried and then spread and compacted by self propelled <br />sheepsfoot compactors. Thirty four (34) compaction tests were performed during the <br />quarter. Nineteen (19) at gob pile #2 and fourteen (14) at gob pile #3. All of the tests <br />met specifications. A test meets specifications if the test attains at least 90% of the <br />maximum dry density attained in a laboratory compaction test in accordance with ASTM <br />D698. There are no outstanding density test failures at the end of the fourth quarter. <br />The top of gob pile #2 serves as a drying area for end dumped gob. Gob is to be <br />stacked to a maximum height of 20 feet, with a slope angle up to 1.5h:1v. A 25 foot <br />buffer zone on the face of the gob pile will be maintained at all times. Gob will be <br />spread and compacted to the currently approved slope configuration as soon as gob <br />-1- <br />