2017-11-09_INSPECTION - C1980007

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October 25, 2017 C-1980-007/West Elk Mine LDS Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 2 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 2 Page 3 of 14 PROCESSING WASTE/COAL MINE WASTE PILES – Rule 4.10 and 4.11 Drainage Control; Surface Stabilization; Placement: Processing waste had been temporarily placed on the surface of the RPE, it had been graded and compacted so as to avoid water pooling. All of the material in the pile was expected to be blended back into the produced coal. Since the wash plant was no longer running it was not expected that the temporary pile would grow any larger. The surface of the RPEE had been graded smooth so as to ensure optimal draining through the winter months. ROADS – Rule 4.03 Construction 4.03.1(3)/4.03.2(3); Drainage 4.03.1(4)/4.03.2(4); Surfacing and Maintenance4.03.1(5) and (6)/4.03.2(5) and (6); Reclamation 4.03.1(7)/4.03.2(7): Four workers from Beavers Construction were improving a road in the southern part of the permit area, on land owned by Mountain Coal Company. A steep section leading out of the Deer Creek drainage, towards the Lick Creek drainage, was being covered with a textile before being surfaced with road base aggregate. The improvements are intended to make access safer in poor weather. RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: Reclamation of the pads associated with the E5 longwall panel had recently been completed or was still in progress. The work (carried out by Beavers Construction) appeared to be of high quality. The reclaimed pads had been graded so as to achieve Approximate Original Contour, with topsoil well distributed across the reclaimed surface, and previously scrubbed vegetation spread over the surface to help stabilize it in the short term. The road segments leading from the USFS road to the pads were being left open for the time being, in case they are needed for access to future B-seam pads. SUPPORT FACILITIES - Rule 4.04: Pads E5-1/2/3, -4, -5 and -6/7 were inspected. These pads were all reclaimed in the summer of 2017 (work at E5-6/7 was still in progress). The locations of holes on the first three pads had been marked with survey pins. The exploration hole drilled under MR-424 was inspected. The hole had been plugged and abandoned, but the pad had not yet been reclaimed. The drillers had some trouble with the hole and had lost the drill bit, which meant that more drilling fluid was used than anticipated, at the time of the inspection the mud-pit was still retaining a pool of fluid, however there was no evidence that the pit had been breached or that impacts had been caused outside of the pad. DOCUMENTS RECEIVED Hardcopy of MR-426. OTHER (SPECIFY) N/A