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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 partial inspection of the Carbon Junction Coal Mine was conducted by DRMS staff from the <br />Durango Office, 701 Camino del Rio, Room 125, Durango, CO 81301, phone (970) 247-5469. No <br />activities at the coal mine were observed; no individuals were contacted during the inspection. Three <br />photos accompany this report. <br />Evidence of,recent vehicle traffic was observed on the access road to the north pit area. As shown in <br />one of the three photos, vehicle tracks were observed on reclaimed areas. Vehicle traffic on <br />reclaimed slopes has the potential to disrupt the stabilizing vegetative cover and encourage erosion. <br />The tandem straw waddles installed mid-slope on the north pit area appeared intact and functioning <br />as designed. Three minor gullies, approximately16lnches wide and 10 inches deep, were developing <br />on the reclaimed slopes above the straw waddles. The gullies appeared to be the result of <br />concentrated runoff from upland rock outcrop areas. Several rocks had been inserted into each of the <br />gullies to form mini check dams to slow the rate of erosion. All three gullies terminated at the straw <br />waddles. Alluvial fan type sediment deposits had formed on the uphill side of the waddles where the <br />gully intersected the waddle. Sediment deposition had occurred to depths suffcient to start <br />overtopping the waddles. <br />A significant gully was observed along the far north end of the north pit reclaimed area, were the <br />backfilled slope transitions to the rock outcrop native slope. The native rock outcrop slope located <br />above the backfill reclamation slope appears to be of sufficient area and grade to generate significant <br />quantities of runoff at erosive velocities. <br />