_INSPECTION - C1981017 (29) - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 yl III. Comments - Compliance j Below are particular issues with regard to any of the compliance items. Enforcement actions resulting from failure to comply with the Act, Rules and Regulations, and the permit also are identified below. i 1 . Topsoil salvage as required to allow for expansion of the No. 1 Mine coal storage area appeared to be 90% completed. All available topsoil (in some areas to a depth of over 61 ) was being salvaged. 2. Road drainage ditches and culverts were functioning well . No erosion or road drainage problems were noted despite the fact that a considerable amount of runoff was entering the road drainage system. 3. Water was being discharged from the lower sediment pond of the four pond system below the refuse pile. The ponds collect disturbed runoff from the preparations plant area and the refuse pile. The _ discharge water which was entering Coal Creek was a dark grayish-black in color, apparently due to suspended coal fines. Water entering the sediment ponds originated from two sources; surface runoff from melting snow on the refuse pile and prep plant yard area, and overflow discharge from the wash plant. A discharge sample taken by Mr. Bowman on the 12th, during the inspection, indicated a TSS concentration of 1280 mg/l - considerably in excess of the NPDES limit of 70 mg/l. The major contributing factor resulting in the high TSS discharge was the fact that the upper two sediment ponds in the 4 pond series were completely filled with sediment and were providing no detention time whatsoever. With the limited settling time provided by the two functional ponds, the fine suspended solids remained in suspension and were discharged from the system. The fact that the upper two sediment ponds had completely filled with sediment in a relatively short period of time may be attributable in part to the fact that the slurry pond located at the preparation plant was full of sediment and wash plant overflow water was being discharged onto the surface of the prep plant yard area and diverted directly into the sediment control system. The wash plant water contains a high concentration of very fine coal particles which may have directly contributed to the high TSS discharge. Also, the wash plant water flowing across the yard area would have picked up additional sediment which was eventually deposited in the sediment ponds, contributing to the failure of the system.