INSPEC15465

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 9/19/2002
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE
This was a partial inspection conducted by Jim Burnell of CDMG on Thursday, September
19, 2002. The inspection was accompanied by Henry Barbe of Mountain Coal Company,
with Kimberly Kaal of the US Forest Service on the portion of the inspection covering the
methane degas drillsites. The weather was partly cloudy and cool with clouds clearing as the
day progressed. The site was busy, and very wet. MCC personnel indicated that the site
had received 2 and '/< inches of rain this week, after several inches in the two weeks prior.
The drillsites at higher elevation had received rain up to four inches during the same period.
The refuse pile expansion area (RPE) was smoothed and compacted. The lower refuse pile
(LRP) top was being utilized as a laydown area for equipment. The slopes of the pile were
stable with no erosion. The vegetation was somewhat greener after several weeks of rainy
weather.
On first approaching the site, it was noted that a plume of muddy water was entering the
North Fork from Sylvester Gulch. Therefore the first order of business was investigating the
source of and reasons for the sediment. The inspection showed that the source of the
sediment was completely natural, deriving from the East Fork of Sylvester Gulch - an
undisturbed area. The small creek running from that area historically carries a very large
volume of sediment from the extremely friable sandstones and mudstones found in that
drainage. The water was flowing from the mine water discharge pond at the same rate it had
been flowing all summer. No sediment was picked up until water from the East Fork entered
the main stem.
At the Lone Pine substation, reclamation has proceeded. The topsoil pile shows good
vegetation, no erosion. The plastic pipeline, the electric lines and all the power poles were
down from the hill. The corridor through which they were placed looks exceptionally good,
with oak brush thigh-high already in the upper areas which were "brush-crushed" rather than
stripped of topsoil. In the area below this "brush-crush" zone, revegetation had proceeded
successfully and the area should be in very good condition by winter.
At the Lone Pine portal site, approximate original contour had been achieved, and the steep
slope reseeded and covered with a blanket of exselsior matting. A strong growth of new
grass was coming up through the matting at the time of the visit and there was no evidence
of any erosion or instability on the slope. Straw bales along the inside road ditch had served
their purpose and caught a good bit of sediment that had washed off the road itself. Straw
bales at the discharge from road culverts were also in place and catching what little bit of
sediment had made it through the culverts. All the culverts were clear.
Pond SG-1 contained some muddy water. The roads on the main mine site were all in
excellent condition. The mine water pond was discharging at 300 gpm, a rate which has
held steady for several months.
The inspection proceeded to the degas drill pads, accompanied by Kimberly Kaal of the US
Forest Service. Up the Minnesota Creek road, all the warning signs (required by the
USFS) were in place at gates and access points.
The 14-0$ pad earthwork was good. Silt fence was present on the downhill side and was in
good repair. There was excellent germination on the reclaimed pad, and a lot of oak brush