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June 19, 2018 C-1996-084/Lorencito Canyon Mine JHB <br /> <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 10 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 <br /> <br /> Page 2 of 5 <br /> <br /> <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 <br />N - Availability of Records <br />Y - Backfill & Grading <br />Y - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />NA - Explosives <br />Y - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />Y - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />NA - Processing Waste <br /> <br />Y - Roads <br />R - Reclamation Success <br />R - Revegetation <br />NA - Subsidence <br />Y - Slides and Other Damage <br />NA - Support Facilities On-site <br />Y - Signs and Markers <br />NA - Support Facilities Not On-site <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />N - Topsoil <br /> <br /> <br />COMMENTS <br /> <br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Janet Binns of CDRMS. Mr. Nick Mason of New Elk Coal Company, <br />LLC accompanied the inspection. The weather was hot with clouds forming as the afternoon progressed. The site <br />was very dry with many of the grasses beginning to dry up. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 <br />Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, 4.05.6; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9: <br /> The ponds throughout the mine site were dry. We did not observe pond 5 or Pond 7 but all others were <br />dry. Ditches and drainages were in good shape. No maintenance concerns were noted regarding the ditches. . <br />NECC continue to have problems with down cutting on the slope immediately to the south of the fenced shrub <br />plot. Ideas for managing this gully prone area were discussed. NECC has installed and staked straw logs, but <br />some undercutting continues. Construction of small rock check dams may be a direction to investigate for a <br />potential solution to this slope. Construction of erosion control structures would require a revis ion to the permit. <br /> <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: <br /> The initial focus of this inspection had been to observe vegetation sampling for future bond release <br />applications. However, due to the extremely dry conditions at the site, NECC decided to postpone the sampling. <br />Unfortunately there was a miscommunication with the Division and the inspector had anticipated that the sampling <br />would occur. <br /> <br />The reclaimed areas are dry, but in spite of the droughty conditions, the reclaimed community was doing OK. <br />Production is low since the moisture has not arrived, but the vegetation was living, though not vigorous. Areas are <br />not eroding. Cover appears adequate to stabilize the surface. Some areas continue to exhibit low cover. These <br />area areas that NECC has struggled with establishing vegetation for a while. Specific areas include; the nose of <br />“the knob” (the west side of N-2 as shown on 2008 ARR map) , the north west slope of area W-1, and the upper <br />two benches of Fill 9. <br /> <br />Vegetative cover on the topsoil borrow area was good, though Yellow Sweetclover continues to be present.