Laserfiche WebLink
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 of the Seneca II-W Mine conducted on August 21, 2007 by Mike <br />Boulay of the DRMS. Dennis Jones of Seneca Coal Company (SCC) was present during the <br />entire inspection. Weather conditions were sunny and hot. Ground conditions were dry <br />throughout the mine site. Scrapers were working in the II-W South area replacing topsoil and a <br />dozer was working along J Road north of Ponds 016/016A to construct a berm. <br />Roads <br />Roads A, J, Ridgeline Access Road and Road G were viewed as part of this inspection. Road <br />surfaces and road ditches were in good condition and generally well maintained throughout the <br />mine site. In response to an MSHA inspection and subsequent violation, SCC was beginning to <br />construct a berm on the out slope of Road J. The material used for the berm construction <br />appeared to consist primarily of topsoil being pushed up and into place along the fill slope side of <br />the road. <br />Hydrologic Balance <br />SCC was in the process of abandoning the W24 Series Wells in the II-W South area in <br />accordance with the procedures set forth in the December 12, 20061etter from the Division of <br />Water Resources (DWR). The location of the W24 Series Wells is shown in Photograph <br />Number 1. Only three of the five wellheads are visible in the photo. Prior to this inspection, <br />SCC completed pressure grouting the PVC casing in each monitoring well. Four of the five <br />wellheads were Plowing which required retrofitting the wellheads with a ball valve and pumping <br />a calculated volume of cement into the well casing. The last well closest to Pond 016 was not <br />flowing and the cement could be tremmied into place. A small sump visible in the foreground of <br />Photograph Number 1 developed when the casing of one of the wells broke and was displaced by <br />the initial slide movement. The upper portion of the displaced well casing is not visible in the <br />photo. Photograph Number 2 shows the location of Well WWC24 that had to be dug out to <br />access the wellhead for abandonment. In the process, the underlying French drain was damaged. <br />Remaining work to be done at the site (per DWR requirements) includes cutting the PVC and <br />steel casings off at two to five feet below the surface, welding steel plates to the top of each steel <br />casing, and backfilling the excavations with native material. To ensure the future stability of this <br />location please repair the damaged French drain by replacing the gravel and liner at the location <br />where it was damaged by the backhoe excavation. Please also properly backfill and compact the <br />small sump area that occurred when one of the well casings was broken by the initial slide <br />activity. <br />