_INSPECTION - C1980007 ‎(37)‎

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 3/24/2009
• Email Name: TAK
• 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 conducted by Tom Kaldenbach of DRMS. Ryan Sweetwood of
Mountain Coal Company represented the operator. Photographs taken during the inspection are
attached to the end of this report. With the operator's consent, this report was issued from the Denver
office of DRMS.
The longwall was active in E-Seam Panel 1. Partial snow cover limited ground observations.
Signs and Markers
An additional stream buffer sign is needed below the C 1-5 culvert on the berm next to the North Fork
of the Gunnison River, where soil is sloughing off from the slope, above. The berm keeps the soil
from reaching the river. The operator's representative explained that an additional sign will installed
soon.
Roads
Road surfaces in the Main Facilities area and Sylvester Gulch were in good condition.
Hydrologic Balance
The following sediment control ponds contained water,but were not discharging: MB-2R(outfall 004)
and MB-3 (outfall 005). Eembankments and inslopes of these two ponds appeared in good condition.
Mine water was not being discharged in Sylvester Gulch from outfall 017.
Processing Waste
The faces of the Refuse Pile Expansion(RPE)pile and the Lower Refuse Pile (LRP) showed no
evidence of structural instability. Survey markers were in place on the faces of both piles. The top of
the LRP is being used for equipment storage, as approved. Several piles of refuse on top of the RPE
await incorporating into lifts (see photo). MR-350 recently approved the back-hauling and
incorporation into the RPE of West Elk's coal refuse that will be washed at Bowie No. 2 Mine. MR-
350 requires initial testing to demonstrate lifts of washed refuse will not compromise the RPE design.
Back-hauling has begun. The operator's representative explained that samples from a lift constructed
with washed material have been sent to a lab, analysis has been completed, and the lab is preparing a
report that soon will be submitted to DRMS.
Support Facilities
No problems were found in the Main Surface Facilities area or in Sylvester Gulch. The mine is
planning to construct a new mine water treatment pond next to the existing Sylvester Gulch mine
pumping facility. Sludge drying lagoons were approved for this location in TR-83 in 1998,but they
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