INSPEC25841

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 8/7/2006
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Colowyo C-1981-019
7 August 2006
Pg 4/6
Backfilling and Grading (cont): -The operator is completing this work as time permits
but stated that more shifts are being dedicated to the reclamation. To the west of
this area there are a few small depressions that were being filled in and graded to
final contour to prepare the area for topsoil placement and seeding this fall.
-The reclaimed portions of the East Pit are well vegetated and appear to be stable.
No erosional problems were noted.
-The operator appears to have reached asteady-state operation in the West Pit.
Spoil from the current operation is being hauled and dumped in the middle of the
north side of the West Pit. Much of the north portion of the West Pit (between the
open pit and the West Pit excess overburden stockpile - Hink's peak) appears to be
graded at this point. This area appeared to be stable at the time of the inspection.
-The operator has backfilled its current trash dump area and has relocated it to
about the mid-ramp level of the West Pit.
Support Facilities: -The facilities area was in good condition at the time of the
inspection. No problems were noted with the area.
-The Gossard Loadout was also in good condition at the time of the inspection.
Topsoil: -The operator has finished the stripping topsoil in advance of the West Pit and
for the highwall miner. Approximately 300,000 bcy of topsoil was stripped. The
contractor working on the topsoil was Bower Brothers.
- The Section 16 topsoil stockpile where the current topsoil removal is being placed
appeared to be stable. The perimeter ditch around the pile appeared to be in good
condition. Now that all topsoil removal operations have been completed, the
operator needs to finish off the pile, including removal of the access road to the top
of the pile, and prepare it for seeding this fall.
-There are still numerous piles of topsoil that need to be spread on the East Pit
reclamation. There appear to be approximately 50 truckloads of soil to be replaced.
This will be spread and seeded this fall.
General Mine Plan Compliance: -Both the 102 and the 103 draglines were idle at the
time of the inspection. They were both at the western edge of the West Pit. It was
indicated that they waiting for overburden blasting to be completed.
- The truck and shovel operation was also idle at the time of the inspection due to
routine maintenance on the 1 14 shovel.
-The operator was drilling and loading explosives in the C-Seam overburden of the
West Pit.
-The operator was hauling coal from the X-Seam at the time of the inspection.
-The Colowyo Mine has also contracted the Bower Brothers to remove
approximately 1.7 million bcy of overburden from the West Pit where they have
removed topsoil. They were removing overburden on the west side of South Taylor
Draw and creating a bench and highwall for the highwall miner. They were
removing shot overburden and hauling it approximately 500 feet and end dumping it
to create the bench necessary for the highwall miner. The Bower Brothers operation
is exposing the E-Seam.