Laserfiche WebLink
April 22, 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 R - 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 />N - Fish & Wildlife N - Support Facilities On -site <br />R - Hydrologic Balance N - Signs and Markers <br />R - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan N - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />N - Other N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />R - Processing Waste N - 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. Jessica Loveland, representing Mountain Coal, LLC, accompanied me on the <br />inspection. The mine was actively producing and shipping coal. The mine was not running the wash plant or <br />hauling refuse to the RPEE. The weather was warm and sunny and the ground was a bit muddy from recent rain <br />and snow. Most of the snow, however, has melted from the lower 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 he time of the inspection. The pond <br />embankment was well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. <br />- Pond MB -4 contained water just below the discharge pipe and was not discharging. The presettling sump also <br />contained water just below the discharge pipe to the main pond and was discharging into the pond. The pond and <br />sump are incised, concrete structures. There were no problems noted at the time of the inspection. <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 embankments were well vegetated and stable and there <br />were no erosional problems noted. <br />- The east cell of the RPE pond was basically full but not discharging at the time of the inspection. The west cell <br />contained a small pool of water. The both cells of the pond are lined. The pond embankments were well <br />vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. <br />- Water was flowing in the ditches around the RPE and the main ditch on the east side of the RPE (that is adjacent <br />to the HR -1 slide area). All of these ditches were all clean and stable at the time of the inspection. <br />- The RPEE sediment and clean water ditches were both clean and stable at the time of the inspection. There <br />were no erosional problems noted in either of these ditches. <br />- The ditches along the main haul/access road and the haul road to the Sly Gulch facilities area were all clean and <br />stable at the time of the inspection. No erosional problems were noted in any of these ditches. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 7 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Page 2 of 11 <br />