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October 26, 2023 C-1980-007/West Elk Mine LDS <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 4 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 <br /> <br /> Page 2 of 12 <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 />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Explosives <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />R - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />R - Processing Waste <br /> <br />N - Roads <br />R - Reclamation Success <br />N - Revegetation <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />R - 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 (Division). <br />Nobody from Mountain Coal Company (MCC) was available to accompany the inspection. <br />The weather was clear and dry. The mine was active. <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 /> Pond cleaning was in progress, starting with the MB3 pond. The RPE pond was next on the schedule, to <br />be followed by SG-1 and MB5-E. Following cleaning, MCC intends to survey the empty ponds with a drone to <br />establish a baseline, and then to conduct regular surveys, <br />With the exception of the reclaimed slope west of Shaft #3, the areas identified as needing maintenance in <br />the last inspection report had been addressed. MCC was developing a plan to deal with runoff from the spring <br />above the reclaimed slope west of Shaft #3. <br /> <br /> <br />GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLIANCE: <br /> Longwall mining of the LWE15 panel was in progress, at around crosscut 9 on the headgate. <br />Development of the LWE12 headgate was in almost complete, with crews advancing towards each other <br />at around crosscut 14. <br />Development of the B Southwest Mains was in progress. <br />MCC continued to manage a large amount of coal fines; Ms. Wilczek estimated around 280,000 tons in <br />total at the time of the inspection. No fines were being generated from the coal mined in the LWE15 panel. <br />Existing fines were gradually being blended into the coal loaded onto trains, as contract specifications allow. Hot <br />spots in the stockpiled fines were being managed as they occurred. <br /> <br />