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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 complete inspection conducted by Joe Dudash of the Colorado DMG. Basil Bear represented the <br />operator during the records check. No one represented the operator during the field portion of the inspection. <br />The Union Pacific Railroad is replacing track ties along the spur line. Some of the railroad equipment is being <br />stored at the highway coal stockpile and the unit train loadout areas. <br />Hi way Coal Stockpile <br />This site has undergone temporary reclamation. Several Union Pacific railcars were on site but no problems with <br />them were observed. T he incised sediment pond was dry with the discharge pipe operational. ivew suave bales <br />have been placed around the inlet of the west side culvert. The line of straw bales along the outside edge of the <br />tracks was also in place. There were no signs of erosional gullies at the site. The cut slope had good vegetative <br />cover and appeazed to be stable. The graveled road was in good condition. The operator will be putting up a new <br />mine ID sign and additional surface disturbance markers. <br />Unit Train Loadout <br />There was a considerable amount of Union Pacific equipment on site. The Division requested that the operator <br />work with the railroad concerning any petroleum products that may be on site. No problems were noted with the <br />railroad equipment during the inspection. <br />There was a little water in the sediment pond. The Farmer's ditch, which flows through a culvert underneath the <br />sediment pond, was flowing. Pond spillways were functional and the upland diversion ditch and culverts were <br />functional. The clean water and disturbed area ditches, culverts and straw bales around the loadout site were <br />functional as well. The operator will be installing new mine ID signs at this site soon. Surface disturbance <br />markers were up. However, some markers need to be adjusted in two areas to better define the disturbance <br />boundary. The disturbance associated with the entrance areas needs to be better defined. Also, on the extreme <br />west side of the loadout, between the grizzly and the orchazd, the surface disturbance markers need to be moved <br />westward to include the west side collection ditch. <br />East Mine <br />The gate to the East Mine was locked. However, the mine ID sign on the fence needs to be replaced. The paved <br />haul road at the site was in very good condition, as were the dirt roads, which had been recently graded. The <br />upper diversion ditch was well grassed and had sufficient capacity. The other ditches and culverts around the <br />site had been recently maintained and had sufficient capacity as well. At the crusher/screener bench, the straw <br />bales were in place. There were no signs of slope instability at any of the cut and fill benches. Surface <br />disturbance markers were up around the disturbance azea. <br />There was no standing water in either of the four bin wall ponds. The gated primary pipe valves of the upper <br />three ponds were open while the last one, the NPDES point, was closed as designed. The bin walls appeared to <br />be stable, as were the pond inslopes. Discharge structures were functional. Topsoil stockpiles had moderate to <br />good vegetative cover. Topsoil signs were up at each pile. <br />The operator had recently sprayed for thistle on the West Ridge waste pile. There was good vegetative cover on <br />the pile. Collection and diversion ditches were functional with some of the ditches having been recently cleaned <br />out. The sediment pond at the waste pile was dry. Pond spillways were functional. There were no signs of <br />