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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
<br />inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action.
<br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Janet Binns, of the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and
<br />Safety (Division) on October 10, 2006. On October 9, 2006 Trapper Mining Inc. (TMI) Environmental
<br />Manager, Mr. Forrest Luke, notified the Division by voicemail of a "massive landslide" in the eastern mining
<br />area of the Trapper Mine. October 9, 2006 was Columbus Day, a state holiday. The message was retrieved
<br />by Janet Binns the morning of October 10, 2006. Janet returned the call on October 10, 2006, and spoke with
<br />Mc Graham Roberts of TMI. He reported that the slide affected the Gdip pit, and the un-mined area between
<br />the Gdip pit and the Zpit. He reported that the slide occurred at about noon on Sunday, October 8, 2006.
<br />TMI personnel reported that they had measured 4.3 inches of precipitation since September 15, 2006.
<br />The inspector amved late in the day on 10/10/2006. Due to the lateness of the afternoon, the inspector and
<br />TMI personnel consulted maps and discussed the timing of events of the slide in the office. According to
<br />TMI personnel at the time, and verified by the inspector the next day, the slide occurred west of the Gdip pit.
<br />According to TMI personnel, Gdip pit had been uncovered to the K seam, and TMI was beginning to remove
<br />the K seam coal. TMI has dewatering wells in the Gdip and Gstrike pits. According to TMI, well DW-2,
<br />located south of the Gstrike pit, had been finished to 252 ft. with the pump set at 242 ft. According to TMI,
<br />this well was pinched off at 9T from the surface on September 25, 2006. Another dewatering well, DW36,
<br />was intact to 211 ft. on September 15, 2006. According to TMI, when DW36 was checked on September 25,
<br />2006, the well was blocked at 95 ft. TMI reported that on October 4, 2006, they observed 1 foot of movement
<br />in a geologic monitoring hole. They also reported that his same hole had %s ft. of movement on October 6,
<br />2006. TMI reported that cracks were observed on the G4 haul road on Thursday October 5, 2006, and cracks
<br />were observed in the I2 seam parting at the end wall of Gdip pit on October 6, 2006. TMI personnel
<br />removed equipment from the azea prior to the slide.
<br />The slide reportedly slid between 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Sunday October 8, 2006, with the majority of the
<br />movement finished by 1:30 pm when TMI's Safety Manager arrived on site. According to TMI, a dragline
<br />operator, Steve Smith, was operating the Baby Doe dragline in the Gdip pit, and observed the movement of
<br />the slide. Based upon the depth the dewatering wells were blocked at, TMI believed the slide occurred along
<br />the top of the L seam. The inspector left at 5:00 pm.
<br />The inspection resumed at 8:00 am, Wednesday October 11, 2006. Mr. Matt Sazes, and Mr. Chris Cazoll, of
<br />Colorado Geologic Survey arrived at the Trapper Mine at 9:00 am on 10/11/2006 at the request of TMI to
<br />conduct their own inspection. Mr. John Tinucci, of Agapito Associates, accompanied the inspection as a
<br />consultant to TMI. TMI personnel that accompanied the Division inspector on her inspection were Mr.
<br />Forrest Luke, Environmental Manager, Mr. Karl Koehler, Safety Manager. Mr. Graham Roberts,
<br />Environmental Assistant, joined the inspection after noon. The Division's inspection of the slide began at the
<br />northern toe of the slide.
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