Laserfiche WebLink
iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiii <br />~ai~~~~ <br />Mountain Coal Company <br />RECEIVED <br />JUL 2 41995 <br />`~ <br />West Elk Mine <br />Post Office Box 591 <br />somsrset, colewdo 81aaa <br />Telephone 970 9245015 <br />Fex 970 929.5595 <br />July 18, 1995 <br />Michael B. Long, <br />Division Director <br />Colorado DepaAment of Natural Resources <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Division o1 rnmerais rs l;eology <br />Re: Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, NOV C-95-016, Site Visit <br />Deer Mr. Long: <br />Mountain Coal Company appreciated the time taken from your busy schedule to visit the West <br />Elk Mine, specifically the site of alleged NOV C-95-018, on Wednesday, July 12, 1995. It was <br />also our pleasure to show you the mine site and our underground longwall operation. <br />Mountain Coal trusts that your visit to the site clarified the fads of the violation allegations, as <br />presented in Mountain Coal's letter of June 28, 1995, requesting vacation of the NOV. <br />To reiterate, the fads of the alleged violation are: <br />Silt Fences <br />The Inspection Report accompanying the NOV alleges that <br />although the silt fence was present al the development waste <br />pile, it was completely ineffectual due to the fad that the bottom <br />of the silt fence was not properly 'keyed' or "folded" into the soil. <br />In addition, silt fence was not in place at all for a portion of the <br />surface runoff from the pile. As a result, disturbed area <br />drainage off of the waste pile was leaving the disturbed area <br />completely untreated. <br />Waldron Inspection Report, page 1 of 3 (May 26, 1995). <br />Mr. Waldron is mistaken about the effectiveness of sediment control at this site. <br />Mountain Coal's intentions and actions have been to control sediment from the site. <br />even during initial site preparation and pile construction. <br />As you observed, by the stripping of topsoil and the natural slope of the site, all water is <br />contained within the stripped area and flows to a low point at the north end of this area. <br />The silt fence installed by Mountain Coal covered more than the total area to which <br />water will flow from the waste pile. It is therefore not true that water was flowing across <br />or through the waste pile and leaving the site "completely untreated.' <br />