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Colowyo C-1981-019 8 January 2007 Pg 2/9 G~ Roads (cont.): -The road to the 101 dragline working in the East Pit area was wet but stable and well maintained at the time of the inspection. No erosional problems were noted on this road. 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 was effective for three months and expired on 12 January 2007. Colowyo has indicated that they were renewing the permit. The operator submitted Minor Revision 85 to the Division to address this discharge. This revision was approved on 2 November 2006. The operator was pumping at the time of the inspection and the water level has been pumped down approximately 20 feet. The diffuser that is attached to the end of the flex tube is working very well. There is no erosion in the outfall of the East Taylor Pond. See the pictures at the end of this inspection report for views of the impounded water and the diffuser in action. -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 four 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 three 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. No erosional problems were noted on the embankment at the time of the inspection. -The Gossard Pond (NPDES 003A) contained water approximately three 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. - 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.