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9 <br />Site Briefing - December 5 <br />Following our additional field observations on December 5, we met to discuss <br />additional useful information that can be gathered and furnished to MSHA, Yenter and <br />other consultants. Mr. Shafer said he would gather core and boring log information and <br />furnish it to the MNM Rocky Mountain District Office and to Pittsburgh Technical <br />Support. <br />Mr. Shafer asked what kind of information MSHA would require in any submitted <br />plans. Mr. Stefansky explained that the District needs information showing the pit <br />slopes have stabilized adequately in order to lift the 107(a) order and that the <br />information should be submitted to Richard Laufenberg, District Manager. He also <br />indicated that all activities not directly related to monitoring or mitigating the pit slope <br />stability, such as retrieval of equipment from the pit, will also require a detailed plan <br />showing the methods that will be used to suitably reduce the risks from the unstable <br />slope while mine personnel are in the area covered by the 107(a) order. <br />Mr. Shafer also asked if the outline that Yenter had presented the day before would be <br />acceptable to MSHA, and we agreed that Yenter's proposed plan appeared to be in <br />general accordance with prudent engineering plans that we had seen. <br />Post-Site Visit Activities <br />On December 9, 2008, we participated in a conference call to summarize the findings of <br />our site visit. Participating in this conference call were Darren Blank, Paul Donahue <br />and Eric Gottheld of the MWGED and Rich Laufenberg and Dustan Crelly of the MNM <br />Rocky Mountain District. We summarized our site observations and emphasized the <br />need for a detailed plan for monitoring the pit slopes. <br />On December 19, 2008, we received an e-mail from Brian Goepfert of the MNM Rocky <br />Mountain District requesting review of a plan to remove a drill rig from the pit. The <br />email contained an electronic copy of a document prepared by Mr. Muller of Yenter <br />outlining the proposed procedure for entering the pit area under the 107(a) order to <br />retrieve their drilling rig. We reviewed this document, and in a phone conversation <br />with Mr. Goepfert, recommended that additional detail be given to the spotter's tools <br />and communication procedures, particularly criteria for calling an "abort" to those <br />entering the pit. The proposed time frame of 3 hours required to perform the retrieval <br />seemed excessive and details on the method of transportation to the drill rig should also <br />be provided.