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June 21, 2018 C-1981-022/Elk Creek Mine LDS <br /> <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 8 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 5 <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 />R - Air Resource Protection <br />N - Availability of Records <br />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Explosives <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />N - Processing Waste <br /> <br />Y - Roads <br />R - Reclamation Success <br />R - Revegetation <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Support Facilities On-site <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />N - 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 by Leigh Simmons of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(Division). Doug Smith of Oxbow Mining accompanied the inspection. The weather was clear and dry. The status <br />of the Elk Creek Mine, as far as the Division is concerned, is “Active” however no coal is being mined and all <br />activity at the site is focused on reclamation. <br />The focus of the inspection was on on-going and recently completed reclamation. <br /> <br />AIR RESOURCE PROTECTION – Rule 4.17: <br /> Roads were being well watered to control dust. <br /> <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; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; <br />Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; <br />Drainage – Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br /> Straw wattles had been placed on newly reclaimed slopes to break the slope up and control runoff. There <br />were no signs of any erosion. <br /> <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: <br /> Work was continuing on the reclamation of the lower section of the Elk Creek facilities area. Topsoil was <br />being spread on graded sections to the south, while excavation was continuing in the stream channel. <br />On the reclaimed middle pad section an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV; “drone”) was used to collect <br />data in order to survey the site; since that data is still being processed, comments and conclusions based on its <br />analysis are not included in this report. <br /> <br />REVEGETATION – Rule 4.15 <br />Vegetative Cover; Timing: <br /> The recently seeded middle pad section showed good first year vegetative cover, dominated by