2016-06-15_INSPECTION - C1981012 (3)

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June 7, 2016 C-1981-012/New Elk Mine RDZ Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 10 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 Page 3 of 19 2H:1V (the specification for the slope of this pile). The sump on the east side of this area appears to be functioning. At the upgradient end of the DWDA2, NECC is still storing sediment from cleaning containment sumps. As noted in the past, this material should be hauled to the RDA as soon as it is dry, and before then the pile should be altered to allow the puddle in the middle of it to drain into ditch D14. The Development Coal Waste Pile exhibited no problems with erosion, large weed patches, or bare areas. The vegetation on this pile is well established. The subsoil storage area (from Bates portal construction) needs to be regraded to remove the large hole in the middle, which could be a danger to wildlife and is not a good long-term practice for soil storage. HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, 4.05.6; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage – Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: Pond 001A was holding water but not discharging. No problems were seen, and the liner was in place. Pond 004A was holding a small amount of water but not discharging. Many willows are on the embankment of the pond, and removal of these should be considered. If removed, consultation with a Professional Engineer or Division of Water Resources employee is recommended. If they are not removed in the near future, the status of the pond should likely be updated (with bond release), and/or the details of this pond in the PAP should be revised. Further discussion on this topic between NECC and the Division is warranted. Pond 006A was holding water, but here was no flow in or out of it. No problems were seen with the structures of this pond. At Pond 007A, equipment was on site for the flocculation activity, although it was not operating at the time of the inspection (the pump was off and the flocculent was not dripping out of the bucket). NECC staff indicated that they will need to perform the flocculation again because of recent heavy rains. The pond was holding a large amount of turbid water (up to top of primary spillway) but not discharging. No problems were seen with spillways or embankments. NECC should consider pumping or trucking the water from this pond to another location or locations (e.g., Pond 004A, Pond 006A) if the flocculation process is not effective in the near future. Pond 08 was discharging through the primary spillway on June 7 in the mid-afternoon. It was a significant flow at first but reduced to a trickle within an hour. NECC took samples to send to a water quality lab (ACZ in Steamboat Springs). The Division and OSM used an Imhoff cone to test for settleable solids in the discharge. The result was approximately 0.0 ml/l. The test entailed leaving the cone at the site for 49 minutes, gently stirring the solution, and waiting another 11 minutes before taking a reading. No significant issues were seen with the pond structures of Pond 08, although there are small indentations and bare areas on the top of the embankment.