INSPEC45827 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Elk Creek C-1981-022 8 November 2007 P9 2/3 Hydrologic Balance Icont.): -The East Yard Pond has been cleaned of material placed there from the pond cleaning (approximately half of the pond area was covered to a depth of approximately two feetl. This material was removed from the pond and hauled to the West Valley fill. The pond was dry at the time of the inspection. The pond appeared to be stable at the time of the inspection. No erosional problems were noted on the pond at the time of the inspection. - Pond E is a concrete dam below the II-West Valley Fill. The concrete embankment was stable at the time of the inspection. The pond contained a small pool of water at the time of the inspection but was not discharging. - Pond F contained a small amount of water but was not discharging at the time of the inspection. The pond embankment was well vegetated and there were no erosional problems noted. - The ditches along the haul road to the Elk Creek facilities area appeared to be stable and functioning as designed. No erosional problems were noted in any of the ditches. Backfilling and Grading: -The backfilled Sanborn Creek portal remains stable. There are no signs of settling or cracking at the backfilled portal location. No erosional problems were noted at the portal location at the time of the inspection. Explosives: -The explosives magazines were in place just below Pond D and the elevated conveyor from Elk Creek portals to the coal stockpile at the time of the inspection. The small pad where the magazines are located was stable and in good condition at the time of the inspection. No erosional problems were noted on the explosives magazine pad at the time of the inspection. Processing Waste: -The West Valley Fill was well maintained and stable at the time of the inspection. There was no water pooling on the pile. The operator has excavated approximately five feet of material from approximately one half of the pile. This is the material that was hauled to the pile from the pond cleanings. The material did not meet compaction limits and has to be respread and compacted. Additionally, the operator hauled the remaining pond cleaning material from the East Yard Pond to the pile. OMLLC is reminded that the maximum lift height for spreading and compacting is two feet. There is approximately 10 vertical feet left on the pile, based on the operator's recent survey and the survey stakes that have been placed in the ground. The operator plans to use the West Valley Fill during the winter months and the II-West refuse pile during the summer months. This will extend the life of the West Valley Fill. As stated in "Roads" above, the operator was using the pile and the haul roads to connect pieces of plastic pipe (that are being stored on the pile) for use underground. The reclaimed outslopes of the pile were all well vegetated and stable. No erosional problems were noted on the outslopes at the time of the inspection. - The II-West refuse pile appeared to 6e stable at the time of the inspection. The pile still has only the beginning of the first lift and, according to the operator, will only be used in the summer until the West Valley Fill is completed (approximately two years). No water was pooling on the pile and there were no erosional problems on the pile. Support Facilities: -Both the Sanborn Creek and Elk Creek Mine facilities areas were dry and appeared to be stable at the time of the inspection. No erosional or other problems were noted at either of the facilities areas. - The downhill conveyor from the Elk Creek Portals to the coal stockpile was stable and in good condition at the time of the inspection.