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May 29, 2019 C-1981-008/New Horizon Mine JHB <br /> <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 7 <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 />R - Backfill & Grading <br />NA - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - 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 />R - Roads <br />R - Reclamation Success <br />R - Revegetation <br />NA - Subsidence <br />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />R - Support Facilities On-site <br />R - 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. Cliff Chiles represented ERMR and <br />accompanied the inspection. The New Horizon Mine was a surface mine. The mine is no longer producing coal, <br />and is in reclamation. <br /> <br />The weather was cool and slightly cloudy, but the area has had rainy cool weather over the preceding week. <br />BACKFILL and GRADING – Rule 4.14 <br />Contemporaneous Reclamation 4.14.1; Approximate Original Contour 4.14.2; Highwall Elimination 4.14.1(2)(f): <br /> A seep of water was draining from above pond 16, down the regraded drainage towards, but not reaching <br />pond 13. The rest of the ground in the area was essentially dry. We followed the seep to the source, which proved <br />to be a small leak in the CC ditch pipe. The CC ditch water is being piped to pond 13. This water leak was clean <br />water, and would eventually drain to pond 13. Cliff thought the leak would be easily fixed. No off site impacts <br />were occurring, so Cliff said ERMR would fix this leak after I left. I was fine with this solution. <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; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br /> Pond 13: ERMR is pumping water from the CC ditch to pond 13 in an effort to meet the discharge water <br />quality standards. Spoil springs from the regraded pit drain to Pond 13. The east side of this pond has lots of <br />cattails, the center of the pond is flush with pond weeds, while the west side of the pond near the discharge <br />structure has open water. Pond 13 was discharging approximately 0.4 on the staff gauge at the flume. The <br />discharge water was clear with a slight sulphur smell. No water sample was collected. ERMR is investigating <br />different treatment options for pond 13 discharge. ERMR is investigating options for treating the influent prior to <br />it to reaching the pond. <br /> <br /> <br />Pond 12: Pond 12 contained a shallow pool of water well below the discharge elevation. Cattails have become