2022-02-22_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (5)

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West Elk Mine 2.04-40 Rev. 11/04- PR10, 04/06- PR10, 09/07- PR12, 10/08- PR14; 01/22- MR459 Although access was later denied by the surface owner, a visual study of the area was conducted by Wright Water Engineers from a small plane. Wright Water Engineers concurred with CDRMS conclusions that “one cannot verify or discount a connection between the mining activity and the current reactivation of the landslide,” and, “this landslide does not appear to constitute any anomalous risk to health and safety or anomalous impact to the environment.” MCC continued to repair roads and structures that may have been damaged by subsidence induced landslide activity as it committed to do in Section 2.05.6 of this Mining and Reclamation Plan document. Highway 133 Along State Highway 133 (SH-133) east of West Elk Mine near Box Canyon, two large dormant landslides were reactivated in 1980 by highway construction excavation. One lies east of Box Canyon and one occurs to the west between Box Canyon and the former portal of the Oliver No. 2 Mine. The eastern-most slide was reactivated again in the spring of 1993, which closed the highway for some time. Because the eastern slide was more than 2,000 feet from the longwall panels that were planned in the Box Canyon permit area, only the western slide was discussed below. Regrettably few, if any, maps were made by Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) of the landslides, the drill holes or the remedial actions performed in this area while constructing SH-133. Most of the information compiled or used by CDOT appears to be unrecoverable. An exhaustive search of files by CDOT personnel and a review by J.W. Rold of CDOT’s Central Files microfilm resulted in data on seventeen drill hole logs (with no locations), one memo on methane safety concerns, two seismic profiles and poor reductions and reproduction of a small-scale map of the constructed highway. Most CDOT information was limited to the memory of, and personal and telephone communications with, Bob Barrett, CDOT District Geologist and J.B. (Brandy) Gilmore, CDOT Chief Geologist. A summary of pertinent information relayed by them and gleaned from the files follows: 1. “Before the construction, the slides appeared dormant and very old.” This agrees with the interpretation of aerial photos predating highway construction. 2. “Road construction reactivated the slides when the slide toes were excavated.” 3. Although the slide appeared to be a simple, fairly large, deep rotational slide, its movement and the drilling showed it to be a complex of fairly small slides. Each slide element is separated from the one above by a competent, stable sandstone ledge. John Rold’s field investigation in October 1996 and close examination of the detailed topographic map confirmed CDOT’s observation.