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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 complete inspection of the King Coal Mine for the month of July, 1996 <br />RECORDS: Records were inspected and found to be in compliance. Further details of the <br />records inspection can be found on page 5 of this report. <br />HYDRO BALANCE; A thunderstorm of Biblical proportions occurred at the time of this <br />inspection. Within 45 minutes, a total of 4.25 inches of rain had fallen, exceeding the 100 <br />year, 24 hour event of 3.5 inches. The following failures occurred: <br />1 . The trash rack (a set of rock bolts) above the east clean water diversion ditch failed and sent <br />debris to the head of the 24" culvert which backed up water and blew out the ditch at the <br />culvert head. Water was diverted by the coal stockpile and ran down the roadway to the <br />drainage ditch at the sales office. <br />2. The southeast clean water diversion ditch was also blocked by trash, and overran the <br />embankment and ran down the roadway and intercepted the water from the blown ditch above. <br />3. The combination of the two clean water ditches emptying into the diversion ditch at the sales <br />trailer caused this already at capacity ditch to fail as well, sending the water down the road. <br />Part of this flow went into the East pond and the remainder flowed into the hay meadow on the <br />west side of the haul road leaving a delta of sediment and coaly waste in the field. <br />Despite the fact that this rainstorm event far exceeded the 100 year event, both ponds <br />preformed extremely well and showed no signs of any ill effects. The ponds are stable and still <br />capable of preforming as designed. <br />GENERAL MINE COMPLIANCE: As the storm subsided, mine personnel immediately went to <br />work repairing and cleaning up the damages left by the storm. By Friday afternoon, all the <br />ditches and culverts had been repaired and the haul road regraded. Saturday morning the only <br />things remaining to accomplish were to clean out sediment and trash in two small sections of <br />culvert. <br />After the ground has had time to dry, the sediment in the hay fields will be cleaned and the <br />sediment ponds will be cleaned. <br />Ultimately, the mine site only suffered two ditch failures due to this severe thunderstorm event <br />and due to the tremendous efforts of mine personnel, the site has been restored. to designed <br />conditions. The people who performed the work should be commended. <br />EXCESS SPOILS: The waste pile and the 100 year diversion ditch were inspected and showed <br />no signs of any problems. The ditch completely diverted all upslope water off the waste pile <br />and the pile itself drained runoff with only the slightest signs of erosion. <br />