INSPEC22139

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 4/3/2002
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

This was a partial inspection conducted by Jim Burnell of CDMG on Wednesday, April 4,
2002. There was very little snow remaining from with most of the mine site in relatively dry
condition. The coal stockpile was very large. The field inspection was accompanied by
Mark Milner of Oxbow Mining, LLC.
The road up Hubbard Canyon to the sites there was in good condition. The snow was gone
and the road was dry. At the Lower Hubbard Canyon site (SAE), one notch-point was
located that could benefit from the addition of some straw bales. There is good vegetative
growth on that site. The pre-law portion of the site doesn't look as good, but is itself not in
bad condition. The upper Hubbard Creek site area is also in good condition. The US Forest
Service has requested that this remain in the existing condition for use as aturn-around for
trail users. The operator has chosen to maintain the site in its present form because it could
again be activated as the mine moves toward the West underground. The old topsoil pile
was disturbed by road construction up the canyon. The sign is still in place.
The road up Elk Creek was in very good condition. Straw booms have been installed on the
cut slope and appear to be working effectively. The West Valley gob pile dry, but no new
material had been added for quite a while. Sediment control was in place on the Elk Creek
topsoil pile and it appeared stable. Likewise, sediment control was in place at the upper end
of the Elk Creek disturbance around the creek. There were fresh straw bales in place at the
location where Elk Creek re-emerges. There was no sign of fugitive run-off in either of those
locations. There was some silt fence along the lower end of Elk Creek that could use
attention. Elk Creek was not high but had begun already to run very muddy.
The Elk Creek facilities are was very busy. The second shaft is nearly to the target depth.
The borrow area showed no signs of instability or erosion. Plans are to hydroseed the
borrow area and other areas in the Elk Creek disturbance in the next week.
The C-pond road was in good condition. Straw bales are installed in the ditch adjacent and
were functioning. The pond contained muddy water, a result of the snow melt off of the last
several weeks. The slopes above the new Elk Creek portals appear to be stable. Entry
development has been completed and development is proceeding underground;
Creek, was in good condition.
The old US Steel mine portals area up Bear Creek appeared in good condition. This SAE
shows no signs of erosion, but the vegetation gets impacted each spring when the sheep are
brought through. Oxbow personnel had recently installed a row of straw bales along the
downslope edges of this area to prevent any sediment run-off.
The fill which has been placed on the east yard gob pile as cover will be spread within the
next week or so. It has been wet and the operator was waiting until it dried to spread it and
determine how much more might be needed to properly cover the pile.