INSPEC46332

• Permit No: C1982057
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 5/26/2006
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE
Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made
during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection
and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action.
This was partial inspection of the Seneca II-W Mine, conducted by Dan Mathews of the DMG Grand Junction
Field Office. This report includes review of 5-18-06 aerial imagery, as well as on-site observations made during
field inspection on 5-26-06. The site was flown by Harry Ranney of DMG on 5/18/06, and 21 oblique and near
vertical digital images were taken. The images were viewed on 5-30-06.
5-18-06 Aerial Images
Imagery covered most portions of the mine site, including active reclamation areas in the Wolf Creek final pit and
adjacent areas in the 016 watershed, graded and topsoifed areas in the 017 watershed, and recently seeded and
older reclamation areas of the "A", "B", "C", and "D" pit areas. On 5/18, reclaimed areas were free of snow with
the exception of one small remnant drift on a north facing slope at the far south end of the Wolf Creek mine
block reclaimed area. There were also some remnant drifts along the crest of the steep slope immediately to the
east of the ridgeline that defines the eastern perimeter of the mine area. All of the remnant snow had melted
prior to the inspection of 5126.
The various stock ponds and sediment ponds covered by imagery all appeared to be full or nearly so.
Dragline was still located at the lower end of the Wolf Creek final pit area, and appeared to be nearing
completion of the final pit backfilling. Grading is still to be completed in portions of the Wolf Creek block, lower
end of the South Leg and North Leg Wadge pits in the 016 watershed, Road H, and Road I and adjacent areas
in North Leg Wadge Pit vicinity. Final drainage channel construction will need to be completed in various South
Area reclamation blocks. This work, along with topsoiling and seeding of the graded areas is scheduled to be
completed during 2006.
There was evidence of recent (spring 2006) drill seeding on a small area that had been topsoifed but not seeded
in fall 2005, at the south end of the south leg Wadge Pit reclamation area in the 016 watershed. Areas seeded
in the fall of 2005 had just begun to "green up" in some areas, likely due to germination of annual cover crop
included with the permanent seedmix. Areas seeded in previous years exhibit more prominent vegetative cover,
with density and uniformity of cover generally increasing with age of reclamation.
Rill and gully erosion was evident in some locations on recently reclaimed hillslopes and drainage channel
locations; and repairs will be necessary in various areas. Areas of apparent erosion include vicinity of PM
Channel 5B in the large Neck Pit aspen plot, swale feature and scraper route in topsoifed area of North Leg
Wadge Pit, and slopes of Wolf Creek block reclamation seeded last fall. There are no doubt other areas where
erosion repair will be warranted, that were not covered or not visible in the imagery, given the large acreage of
new reclamation and the heavier than normal snowpack. Some rill repairs appeared to have already been
initiated, but it was obvious that other areas were not yet accessible due to muddy conditions. A number of
shallow puddles from recent snowmelt were evident in depressions and low areas.
There was an area of apparent seepage evident on a reclaimed "A" Pit slope southwest of the junction of
Permanent Channel 006 and 006-S1; there was no evidence of a slump or significant erosion associated with
the seepage. SCC had notified the Division of a slide located immediately east of the reclaimed Neck Pit area
on April 21; this slide location was not covered by the aerial imagery but was observed during the site inspection
on 5/26.
3