_INSPECTION - C1981019 ‎(40)‎

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 4/16/2008
• Email Name: JRS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Colowyo C-1981-019
16 April 2008
Pg 4/5 e.1, 5t7-
Hydrologic Balance (cont.): - The West Pit Pond (NPDES 008A) contained water
approximately eight feet below the top of the discharge pipe and was not
discharging at the time of the inspection. The water was very murky. The presettling
cell was full. The pond embankment was well vegetated and appeared to be
stable. The emergency spillway is a riprapped open channel. The spillway
appeared to be stable and functioning as designed. There were no erosional
problems noted on the pond embankment at the time of the inspection.
- Sump 2 was completely filled with sediment and needs to be cleaned out.
- Sump 3 contained sediment and water approximately one foot below the top. This
sump will need to be cleaned.
- Sump 4 was completely filled with sediment and needs to be cleaned out.
- Sump 5 was full of sediment and water and will need to be cleaned out.
- Through aerial photos, the Division detected a possible spoil spring in the Gulch A
watershed near the substation. We walked the area of the spoil spring and did not
see any water actively flowing. This area will be checked over the next few months
for any evidence of an active spoil spring.
Backfilling and Grading: - The reclamation and backfilling operations in the East Pit
have made little progress over the winter. We did not discuss the Colowyo Mine's
plans for reclamation this summer. The 101 dragline was sitting on the East Pit
highwall at the time of the inspection but it was not operating.
- The top of the West Pit overburden stockpile still needs to be removed to the new
approved elevation as permitted in Technical Revision 63.
- The area of the West Pit that has been graded looks good. There are no erosional
problems with this area. This area is a disconnected area that is like an "island" in the
ungraded spoil but it gives Colowyo a good visual and a tie-in point for their future
reclamation in the West Pit.
- The operator has used the Section 4 area of the West Pit as a truck dump. This is the
area that was highwall mined and flooded with water prior to the coal removal. The
dumped overburden has almost reached final grade along the center of the dump.
There is still a lot of work to be done but this is a good start.
Support Facilities: - The facilities area was in good condition at the time of the
inspection. No problems were noted with the area.
- The Gossard Loadout appeared to be stable and in good condition at the time of
the inspection. No fugitive dust coming from the coal stockpiles or stacker tube at
the time of the inspection.
Topsoil: - The operator, through the contractor Bower Brothers, was still removing
topsoil from the box cut area of the South Taylor Pit. The topsoil is being stockpiled in
a new pile just south of the West Pit (west of the Section 16 Pit) and next to the pile
above the East Pit highwall. The area has dried up so the conditions that Bower was
operating in this winter are no longer a concern at this point. Overall, Bower is doing
a very good job with the topsoil stripping operations.
Colowyo C-1981-019