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June 26, 2015 C-1980-007/West Elk Mine <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 />R - Availability of Records R - 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 />JRS <br />This was a complete inspection of the West Elk Mine conducted by Jim Stark of the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Robin Reilley, also representing the Division and Kathy Welt, representing <br />Mountain Coal, LLC, accompanied me on the inspection. The mine was actively producing and shipping coal. <br />The mine was not running the wash plant or actively hauling refuse to the RPEE. The weather was hot and sunny <br />and the ground was dry. <br />AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS — Rule 5.02.4(1): <br />- All of the required records were available in Kathy Welt's office in the main mine office building. Please see the <br />Division's Availability of Records form at the end of this inspection report for more detailed information. <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 -1 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 />- 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 />- Pond MB -3 was almost dry at the time of the inspection. There was some sediment in the pond but it did not <br />appear to be enough to warrant cleaning at this point. The pond was 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 -I 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. The clean <br />water ditch was barely flowing and discharging into the native drainage. There were no erosional problems noted <br />in the ditch or native. The concrete apron of the sediment ditch remained stable. There were no erosional <br />problems noted in the sediment ditch. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 8 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 <br />Page 2 of 14 <br />