INSPEC05231

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 8/1/2007
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Colowyo C-1981-019
1 August 2007
Pg 6/7
Topsoil (cont.) As in the past, Bower is pushing the topsoil into windrows with a D 10
dozer and loading 8-10 CAT 769 haul trucks with a CAT 385 excavator. The operation
was progressing nicely. As in the past few years, they are leaving very small topsoil
islands so it is easy to gauge the depth of topsoil removed and to see that all of the
available topsoil has been removed. The roads were all well maintained and well
watered to limit the amount of fugitive dust to the extent possible. On the inspection
we looked at two small areas that Colowyo is requesting as exemption areas for
topsoil removal. Both exemption areas are very steep and rocky and they drop-off at
the highwall area from the highwall miner that was operating in the drainage. The
area on the west side of the drainage is approximately 5 acres and the area on the
east side of the drainage is approximately two acres.
- There are still the piles of topsoil that were hauled to the East pit that were to be
spread last year. These piles are beginning to grow weeds and must be spread on
the regraded areas and reseeded this year.
General Mine Plan Compliance: -The 101 dragline is on the East Pit highwall
performing reclamation with a Dl 1 dozer.
-The 102 dragline was working on removing D-Seam overburden in the West Pit. One
of the penant lines on the 102 dragline broke and it will be down for several weeks
until it is fixed.
-The 103 dragline was removing overburden on the D-Seam.
-The 1 14 shovel operation was currently working on removing the A-Seam
overburden.
-The operator was dumping overburden in the mid-pit area of the West Pit.
-The operator has a contractor (Krule) working in the West Taylor drainage, around
the location of the West Taylor fill. Krule is removing and burning the trees in advance
of the topsoil stripping operations. They are using a CAT D6 dozer to knock over the
trees and they are loading them into incinerators with a CAT 321 excavator with a
claw attachment. The incinerators are the size of a dumpster and they force air onto
the burning trees, providing oxygen for a complete burn. There is very little smoke
once the process begins. Prior to lighting the incinerators, the contractor is removing
the topsoil and digging a narrow trench for the ashes. Currently Krule has four
incinerators on site and is on schedule.
-The mining at the Colowyo Mine appears to be progressing as discussed and
approved in the PAP.
Air Resource Protection: -All of the areas of the current Colowyo Mine were well
compacted and stable at the time of the inspection. There have also been some
rains in the afternoons so there was not a problem with fugitive dust on the mine site
at the time of the inspection. There were also no problems with fugitive dust at the
coal stockpile at the Gossard Loadout.
-The Bower project was actively watering their area and also limiting the fugitive dust
to the extent possible.
- The Kiewit project area was also well watered and in good condition at the time of
the inspection. There was not a problem with fugitive dust this inspection.