_INSPECTION - C1981017 ‎(12)‎

• Permit No: C1981017
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 11/5/2007
• 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 the third of a three part site visit which constituted the required fall 2007 fall inspection. In
attendance were members the U.S. Forest Service and Division staff.
The focus of the inspection was the reclamation success at:
- Mine 3
- Road E
- Road F
- Mine 5
- Road G
- Sutey Refuse Disposal Area
Road E was observed to be stable and supporting healthy, albeit heavily grazed vegetative cover.
Road F was observed to also generally be stable and well vegetated. The area of Road F below the
Mine 3 loadout still suffers from erosion as a result of the volume of water being contributed from the
loadout area and from a natural drainage feature located immediately adjacent to the north margin of
the loadout. Various potential remedies were discussed. The volume of water contribution, the fine
grained nature of the soils in the area and the fact that at least half the road is constructed of Mancos
Shale fill material will likely not allow for a complete end to erosion in this area. However, dispersal of
flow prior to water discharging over the fill slope may enhance the stability of the area.
Excepting the lone remaining culvert crossing of Road G, it was observed to be stable and supporting
a healthy stand of vegetation.
The culvert which spans a tributary to Coal Creek near the old Coal Basin Town site is failing. This
culvert will be removed in the late spring or early summer of 2008. Back sloping of the fill slopes on
either side of the culvert will need to be accomplished in order to stabilize the area following culvert
removal.
An intense rain in late July has altered both Coal and Oil Well Creeks where they are crossed by Road
G. The Oil Well Creek crossing was more significantly altered than the Coal Creek Crossing. The
change to these areas is not deemed to be deleterious to site reclamation or stability, as these flash-
flood susceptible channels aggrade and degrade naturally for their length as a result of the intense
flows they experience.
Ditch 8 at the Sutey Refuse Disposal Area was evaluated. This structure has suffered from erosive
flow velocities, likely most recently as a result of the same storm that affected the Road G stream
crossings. The Forest Service and the Division are jointly working on a plan to stabilize this channel in
the spring or early summer of 2008.