_INSPECTION - C1981041 ‎(22)‎

• Permit No: C1981041
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 1/22/2009
• Email Name: MPB
• 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 a partial inspection of the Roadside Portals Mine conducted on January 22, 2009 by Mike
Boulay of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Grand Junction Field Office. Tonya
Hammond of Snowcap Coal Company was present during the entire inspection. Prior to this
inspection, we made arrangements to meet with Rudy Fontanari a landowner whose property is within
the mine permit boundary in the vicinity of the North Decline area. Tonya Hammond and I met Mr.
Fontanari at around 9:00 a.m. on the morning of January 22"d and proceeded to the North Decline
Road located on Mr. Fontanari`s property. The purpose of the meeting was to view several locations
where Mr. Fontanari believes surface cracks have developed on his property as a result of subsidence
from the Roadside Portals Mine, where the South Portal underground workings are located beneath
this area of his property. Weather conditions were cold and cloudy and the ground was partially snow
covered.
Subsidence
We began the inspection at a location approximately midway up the North Decline Road. Ms.
Hammond indicated that the North Decline Road is not a permitted mine road but an access road
maintained by Mr. Fontanari. Ms. Hammond and myself have both noted that there has been some
water(a small amount) discharging from the outcrop at this location where the road bends sharply. In
attached Photograph No. 1 some frozen water can be seen emanating from the outcrop just above the
road surface. There is also some sloughing of the road cut evident. Mr. Fontanari indicated that a
possible source of the water could be from the Ute Water line located on the hilltop directly above the
road cut. From my inspection it does not appear that this is the probable source of the water. The dip
of the rock is to the east towards the face of the rock outcrop and it appears to be a small amount of
groundwater discharge.
In Photograph No. 2 at the same location, Mr. Fontanari stated that there were two to three cracks that
came across the floor of the road surface but that he had covered them over and backfilled them. The
bedrock is fractured in several locations at this bend in the road and the water may be coming from the
rock fractures. It is unclear how the fractures occurred or whether or not they are related to subsidence
effects.
Photograph Number 3 and 4 were taken near the top of the North Decline Road where Mr. Fontanari
pointed out a significant vertical crack or fracture in the bedrock outcrop. The vertical crack is clearly
visible in the center of Photo No. 4. It is unclear how the crack formed. Mr. Fontanari indicated that
he widened the road at this location in November and December of 2008. After increasing the width
of the road, he noticed the crack.
Photograph No. 5 was taken at the top of the North Decline Road where Mr. Fontanari is beginning to
excavate for a gravel pit operation. In Photograph No. 5 at the approximate location of the orange field
notebook, Mr. Fontanari stated that a subsidence hole existed but he filled it back in.