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Y ,, ,:.,. ~` ROCKCASTLE COAL/GRASSY CREEK ~ ';.;. 715.16 TOPSOIL HANDLING Topsoil removal and stockpiling operations have taken place at this mine, but operations have not taken place on all affected areas prior to mining and mine associated activities. The state regulatory author- ity has addressed many of the topsoil violation areas in previous in- spections such as spoiling on undisturbed areas prior to topsoil re- F.; moval, to soil ~~ p pushed into pit from the highwall, mixing of topsoil r:.: and overburden, failure to remove topsoil prior to upgrading (widen- ` ing) the existing roads and overall inefficiency of the companys top- soil removal operations. Violation number 2 of Notice of Violation 79-V-3-22 was issued for failure to store topsoil properly. The top- soil stockpile at pit number 1 could not be distinguished from the overburden deposition pile. An access road was situated on a por- tion of the material which was undistinguishable. Rock and other overburden material was pushed onto a distinguishable portion of the top- i soil stockpile at pit number 1. The topsoil stockpiles east of pit number i' 2 had been contaminated at several points by the adjacent overburden ~~ stockpile and by waste material associated with the coal seam which the company terms BLOOM. 715.17 PROTECTION OF THE HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM The state regulatory authority identified sedimentation control prob- lems during a state monitoring inspection conducted April 17, 1979 and had notified the company that required sedimentation control should be accomplished within 30 days. Violation nuc~ber 3 of Notice of Violation 79-V-3-22 was issued for failure to pass surface drainage from the disturbed area through sedimentation ponds. The violation was issued for lack of sedimentation control structures associated with the overburden and topsoil stockpile areas associated with both the number 1 and number 2 pits. The company has proposed to construct diversion ditches to control surface drainage from overburden and topsoil stockpiles, but activ- ity on such structures was not evident during the inspection. The mining operation was .operating under NPDES permit number CO- 0035653. Underground water monitoring operations were not checked during the inspection. The access/haulroad construction and upgrading operations were in- spected. Two sixteen inch culverts along the access/haulroad to pit number 1 were totally blocked on the discharge side due to the unconsolidated materials associated with the upgrading operations being pushed over the outslopes. Both of the access/haul roads lead- ing to the active mining areas were measured at more than 300 feet of grade exceeding 10$. The maximum grade was measured at 15~ on the access/haulroad leading to the number 2 pit within the portion -2-