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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE <br />Below aze comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the <br />inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or <br />evidence supporting the enforcement action. <br />This was a partial inspection conducted by Joe Dudash of the Colorado DBMS. Bill Bear represented the <br />operator. <br />Main Mine Site <br />The paved main haul road was in good condition except for a section of road above the B-seam portal bench. <br />The immediate area had started to slump so the site was excavated and French drains were installed. However, <br />after the excavated material was replaced, the slumping continued. The operator removed the soil material again <br />and stored in on the B-seam excess material storage area. The problem is being studied for fitr[her work. The <br />area didn't slump that much but it was beginning to affect the paved road. The slump above the D-seam portal <br />bench also needs repair, now that the weather is improving. <br />The water levels in ponds B and C were just above the primary discharge tubes. Gated valves were closed so <br />there were no discharges. Pond D was nearly dry while pond F had a small amount of water in it. Pond spillways <br />were functional. The pump at pond F was in place. There was very little coal being stockpiled on the D-seam <br />portal bench. There was a fair amount of coal stockpiled on the lower coal stockpile bench. There were no signs <br />of fugitive coal dust going offsite or coal fines being tracked onto the highway. There is a good vegetative stand <br />on the cut and fill bench slopes. The main topsoil stockpile was well vegetated. The operator has been spraying <br />noxious weeds around the mine site, <br />Coal Waste stockpiles <br />The gob pile haul road was in very good condition. The road ditch and outside edge berm were in place. The <br />operator has begun placing coal waste in one area at the west extension of gob pile no. 2. At the same time, <br />excavation of the adjacent area was finishing up. The main area of gob pile no 2 was essentially topped out. The <br />cliff above the east side diversion ditch had given way. Very large boulders fell into the ditch and onto the <br />adjacent area. The operator has to wait until the area dries out to break down the boulders into manageable <br />pieces for removal. Most of the upgradient runoff above the gob pile flows into the west side diversion ditch. <br />Also, this rock slide occurred in the upper portion of the east side diversion ditch and the azea above this portion <br />is steep and not extensive. Therefore, ii appeazs that this rock slide has interrupted only a small amount of the <br />potential upland diversion runoff. However, the operator needs to expedite this removal work. The operator was <br />in the process of grading additional coal waste at gob pile no. 1. There was positive drainage off of the placed <br />coal waste at both gob pile no.] and gob pile no. 2. <br />Hubbard Creek Geotechnical Drill Site <br />The drilling has been completed and all of the drill equipment has been moved offsite. This site may become the <br />location of a future vent shaft. The mine ID signs and stream buffer zone signs were up at the appropriate <br />locations along the road. More surface disturbance mazkers are needed, however. The topsoil stockpile was <br />protected with silt fence and the topsoil sign was up on the stockpile. Silt fence was being used for sediment <br />control, although, in one area, straw bales were also being used. This site has a seep that may need to be dealt <br />with when the vent shaft site is constructed. <br />c:/word/bowie2/insp0507 <br />