_INSPECTION - C1981041 (32) - Laserfiche WebLink

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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. General Comments This was a partial inspection of the Roadside Portals Mine,focusing on the South Portals area where the active reclamation project is continuing. Other areas observed included the North Portal area and Coal Creek corridor, CRDA-1 and CRDA-2 waste disposal areas, the reclaimed conveyor corridor, Unit Train Loadout(UTL)area, and the North Decline(including Mine Water Discharge Site 016). For the most part, locations other than the South Portals project area were viewed from the vehicle. Weather conditions were clear and very cold. Ground conditions were frozen, with light crusted snow cover on north facing slopes and shaded areas. The inspection was conducted by Dan Mathews and Mike Boulay, of the DRMS Grand Junction Field Office. Mike will be taking over lead permitting and inspection responsibility for the operation in February. Tonya Hammond of Snowcap Coal Company was present during the inspection. South Portal Area Reclamation The South Portal area reclamation project was continuing, although only a skeleton crew was working at the time of the inspection (most had been given Friday off). Ms. Hammond indicated that the project would likely be completed by mid-February. Backfilling work was continuing along the lower end of the old portal access road (Access Road 1). Most of the length of Access Road 1 has been eliminated and the backfilled slope has been topdressed and very recently roughened in preparation for seeding. Track-hoe roughening of the slope resulted in a high percentage of clods in areas where roughening did not immediately follow topdressing (due to frozen ground conditions). The cloddy surface will not hamper broadcast seeding activity, and freeze-thaw action should substantially break down the larger clods, with no long term effect anticipated. Lower facilities area clean-up, grading and topsoiling have been substantially completed, and Pond 8 appears to be close to its final design size and configuration (though inlet and spillway structures are still not completed). The stockpile of material noted in previous inspections remains in place on top of the RSRDA waste disposal site. This stockpile is sandy material that will be used for road base on the new upper bench access road (Road 1A); it was erroneously described as topdressing material in previous inspection reports. Some minor regrading remains to be done on the portal bench itself. The highwall backfill 2:1 slope was recently roughened in preparation for seeding. The French drain extending out from the backfill has been completed. The 4" pipe extending out through the portal backfill will still need to be grout sealed per the approved plan. Final travel surfacing, ditching, riprap installation, and seedbed preparation is yet to be completed along new Road 1A. Seeding and mulching of all "non-active use" areas will be completed immediately following completion of seedbed preparation roughening, weather conditions permitting. Composite soil samples are to be collected from representative areas of the portal backfill, Access Road 1 backfill, and Road 1A fill slope. Other Mine Areas Other mine areas are essentially as described in the previous aerial inspection and the 4th quarter complete inspection. Minewater Discharge Site 016 was observed and appeared to be functioning properly; discharge water was clear. The small corridor along the temporary road from Haul Road 5 to the top of CRDA-1 remains open for disposal of coaly residue from active reclamation sites. Some material has recently been transported to the site from the South Portal area, and more will be hauled in during reclamation of the Unit Train Loadout, later this year. 3