2003-06-10_INSPECTION - C1981038

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1I1. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the inspectfon. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. . East Mine The East Mine is the original site for the Bowie No. 1 Mine and was constructed in 1975. The facilities for the East Mine aze situated on a series of benches, the lowest of which is just above the West Ridge waste pile. The lowest bench is the crusher/screener bench where the coal was crushed, screened and loaded into haul trucks for transport to the'train loadout. Also at this level were the sewage treatment facility and the haul track fuel, facility: Above-the arusher/screengr bench is the shop bench. The mam shep, wazehouse, fire shop, coal surge bin and the temporary coal waste stockpile were located on this bench. The transfer bench is above the shop bench and contained the conveyor belt transfer building. Above the transfer bench is the electrical substation bench. The next level higher is the office bench where the office, mine portals, bathhouse, rock dust building, master control center building, solid waste disposal bin and the fuel station were located. The uppermost level is the fan bench where two vent fan shafts and two water tanks aze located. East Mine -West Ridge Waste Pile At the West Ridge waste pile, BRL requested bond release for 1) compaction, 2) final grading and 3) four feet of cover. The West Ridge waste pile is primarily on land managed by the BLM. At the time of this inspection, it was not known if the northem portion of the West Ridge waste pile was on land owned by Mr. Pavlisick. A small northern section of the waste pile has not been completed yet so any bond release involving the waste pile will not be 100 percent. Proper compaction of the waste pile has been documented with the submittal of quarterly certified engineers' reports. Compaction of coal waste was documented from 1983, when the refuse pile was constructed, through 2001, when the last of the compaction on the refuse pile took place. Compaction did nat take place every quarter. If the placed refuse was compacted during that quarter, the engineer's report included the results of the compaction testing. If compaction was tested and found to be unacceptable, the refuse was reworked, re-compacted and re-tested.. The reports document that the refuse was placed and compacted in 24 inch high lifts and that the final compaction achieved at least 90 percent of the maximum standazd dry density. The final grading as-built configuration was verified in an OSM Special Focus Oversight inspection held on August 19, 1997. The field inspection showed that the final grading of the refuse pile was in close agreement with the requirements approved in the permit application. The two lifts were slightly less than the required maximum lift height of 50