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April 16, 2025 C-1981-019/Colowyo Coal Mine HR1 <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 7 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 <br /> Page 3 of 18 <br /> <br />EXCESS SPOIL and DEVELOPMENT WASTE – Rule 4.09 Placement; Drainage Control; Surface <br />Stabilization: <br />The West Taylor Valley Fill area was inspected from below at the West Taylor Pond (Photo 28). No erosional <br />issues were noted. The face of the valley fill is well covered with vegetation, made up of sagebrush and native <br />grasses. Water was noted to be flowing through the valley fill underdrain and into West Taylor Pond as designed. <br /> <br />Regrade of the South Taylor Temporary Spoil Pile continues as backfill in various areas of the South Taylor Pit <br />progresses (Photo 12). <br /> <br />BACKFILL and GRADING – Rule 4.14 Contemporaneous Reclamation 4.14.1; Approximate Original <br />Contour 4.14.2; Highwall Elimination 4.14.1(2)(f); Steep Slopes 4.14.2, 4.27; Handling of Acid and Toxic <br />Materials 4.14.3; Stabilization of Rills and Gullies 4.14.6: <br /> <br />South Taylor <br />Active backfill operations were observed during this inspection of the South Taylor Pit. Haul trucks were noted at <br />the time of inspection to be distributing spoil material into the southwestern corner of the pit (Photo 11). It <br />appeared that recent regrade and or dumping operations had also occurred along the western edge of the pit (Photo <br />12). <br /> <br />West Pit <br />West Pit has been almost entirely backfilled and is largely in its revegetation phase. West Pit was inspected from <br />the southern end of its revegetated areas. A large portion of this West Pit area has been proposed for Phase I Bond <br />Release under SL-24. Greening grasses were observed in the active revegetation areas and no major erosion rills or <br />gullies were observed from the inspection vantage point (Photo 4). The north facing hillside in West Pit, which <br />was backfilled, graded and seeded in the Fall of 2024 was inspected (Photos 1 and 2). A small portion of this <br />hillside was not topsoiled, as a small slump in the area had been noted. Colowyo has sectioned this area off with <br />cones to monitor the slump and will continue with topsoiling in the future so has to avoid any loss of topsoil. Just <br />west of this area is part of the requested release under SL-24. <br /> <br />HYDROLOGICBALANCE - Rule 4.05; Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, <br />4.05.6; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water <br />Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage – Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; <br />Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br /> <br />West Pit <br />The following stock ponds in the West Pit area were inspected this month: TD1 (Photo 4) and TD2 (Photo 5). <br />Both stock ponds were seen to be holding a small amount of water, with no erosional issues or concerns noted. <br /> <br />The following ditches in the West Pit area were inspected this month: East Taylor Ditch and Taylor Ditch. The <br />Taylor Ditch was inspected from within the West Pit reclaimed area (Photo 4-6). The East Taylor Ditch is a <br />tributary to Taylor Ditch and was also observed from its current southern end (Photo 3). No signs of erosion or <br />cutting were visible along any of the observed West Pit ditches. <br /> <br />East Pit <br />The following stock ponds in the East pit were observed during this inspection: EP1, EP2 (Photo 16), EP3 (Photo <br />21), NTEP1 (photo 23), PD1 (Photo 19) and PD2 (Photo 15). All stock ponds were holding some amount of water, <br />with EP3 being the driest stock pond. EP2 was flowing into Reach 2 of the Final East Pit Ditch as designed (Photo <br />18). <br />