INSPEC14463

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 12/12/2006
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Colowyo C-1981-019
12 December 2006
Pg 2/S
Hydrologic Balance: - In Section 4 of the West Pit, where the highwall miner began
operating, there was a very large impoundment of water due to the large amount of
precipitation the mine received in the early fall months. This impounded water had
completely covered the coal stockpile from the highwall miner at the bottom of
the West Pit. The operator estimated that there was up to 14 million gallons of water
in the pit. The operator was pumping the water from the pit directly into Taylor Creek
under a CDPS Industrial General Minimal Discharge Permit (MINDI Permit). The system
pumps water to the top of the pit, into a 20,000 gallon holding tank (to settle out any
settlable solids) then through a packed sand filtration system to remove the
remaining solids. The water will not flow into the East Taylor Pond prior to being
discharged. The discharge pipe has a diffuser and is routed into the riprapped outfall
for the East Taylor Pond below the flume to minimize erosion and environmental
impact. The MINDI permit is effective for three months and expires on 12 January
2007 (unless renewed). The operator submitted Minor Revision 85 to the Division to
address this discharge. This revision was approved on 2 November 2006. Some
headway has been made on the pumping but the system was down at the time of
the inspection. Numerous problems have been encountered during the process
including not being able to prime the pump after moving it a water freezing in the
various parts of the system. The operator continues to work on the problems and is
optimistic that all of the water will be pumped out of the pit before 12 January 2007.
- The Section 16 Pond was inaccessible due to snow at the time of the inspection. - --
- The wash bay pond (not a NPDES discharge point) contained water approximately
three feet below the top of the embankment and was not discharging. This is a total
containment pond and discharge into the Work Area Pond triggers BTEX testing (in
addition to regular NPDES testing). The pond embankment was well vegetated and
appeared to be stable at the time of the inspection. No erosional problems were
noted on the pond embankment at the time of the inspection.
-The work area pond (NPDES 002A) contained water approximately one-and-a-half
feet below the top of the discharge pipe. The pond embankment was well
vegetated and appeared to be stable at the time of the inspection. The pond was
cleaned last month, with approximately 400 yards being removed. No erosional
problems were noted on the embankment pt the time of the inspection.
- The Gossard Pond (NPDES 003A) contained water approximately four feet below
the riser pipe and was not discharging at the time of the inspection. The pond
embankment was well vegetated and appeared to be stable at the time of the
inspection. No erosional problems noted on the embankment at the time of the
inspection. The emergency spillway is a 12" culvert. The Gossard pond was recently
cleaned and the sediment and coal fines were dumped in the West Pit.
- All of the roadside ditches appeared to be clean and functioning as designed at
the time of the inspections. No erosional problems, sediment build-up or blow-outs
were noted at the time of the inspection.