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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE <br />Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made <br />during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection <br />and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. <br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Joe Dudash and Jim Stark of the <br />Colorado DMG. Mark Milner represented the operator. According to the operator, <br />the valley has been receiving heavy rains in the last few weeks. The mine site <br />was dry during the inspection. <br />Train Loadout <br />The sediment control system at the loadout is in the process of being reviewed. <br />Over the weekend, a coal fire in the loadout silo needed to be put out with water. <br />This resulted in coal contaminated runoff which could not be treated <br />appropriately with the straw bales that were part of the approved SAE area. The <br />operator needed to dig a sump and contain the runoff for pumping into pond B. <br />The operator moved the sump excavation material to the pond B drainage area. <br />Field inspection showed that no coal fines were detectable offsite in the highway <br />drainage ditch and in the highway culvert leading to the river. The operator and <br />the Division have entered into discussion concerning a possibly better way of <br />treating any future industrial runoff. <br />Mine Fire Surface Disturbance <br />The drill pads and their light use roads that had been used in the mine fire <br />operation were inspected for erosional stability. The drill pads appeared to be <br />erosionally stable. The water bars across the roads were functional. However, in <br />two months of operation, the water bars are starting to lose their effectiveness. <br />The operator will redo the water bars before winter. The Division also suggested <br />that the areas be seeded soon. The operator does not want to reclaim these <br />areas now because they may need them should another mine fire start. <br />Facilities <br />The operator has begun construction of the fence that will keep the public out of <br />the mine area. <br />C:\ms97\sanborn\insp0899 <br />