_INSPECTION - C1981022 ‎(58)‎

• Permit No: C1981022
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 8/19/2009
• Email Name: MLT
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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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.
Support Facilities
• OMLLC was in the process of constructing a new water line to replace the older line that leads from
the river to the water treatment facility. The old line had experienced a few breaks during the past
winter.
• A new gate has been installed at the far eastern end of the permit area (near the intersection with
SH 133). The gate will be unlocked and open only when access to the main entrance is blocked by
a train being loaded with coal.
• The material storage areas alongside the Elk Creek Haul Road and Access Road were neatly
organized. The area surrounding the shop was cluttered by comparison.
General Mine Plan Compliance
• The mine was in the process of making a longwall move.
Revegetation
• Vegetative cover on the II West Coal Refuse Facility slope seeded in 2008 is doing well (Figure 2). In
addition to some annual weeds, cicer milkvetch; Palmer penstemon; mountain brome; and western
wheat grass are becoming established.
Air Resource Protection
• The main entrance area and access roads were freshly watered when I arrived at the site.
• During the Elk Creek Facilities portion of the inspection, a water truck was observed spraying the
roads for dust control.
Bear Creek Fansite
• Raised-bore drilling operations were under way at the time of the inspection. The 16' diameter
cutting head is inside the mine (Figure 3, provided by Jim Kiger), and is turned and raised by a rig
situated on the surface at the Fansite (Figure 4). The head advances approximately 0.5 feet per
hour through the hardest rock. Work is being accomplished by running two 11-hour shifts per day.
Cuttings are removed from beneath the head during the one-hour break between shifts. For safety,
a gas check is conducted once every 20 minutes.
• The drilling apparatus is capable of providing up to 197,000 Foot-Pounds of torque to the drill stem.
• Power for the drilling operation is being drawn from the substation constructed earlier. A cable was
laid on the surface of the ground, extending from the substation to a large yellow box (Figure 5)
which distributed power to the drilling equipment.
• A large portion of the concrete foundation for the fan has already been constructed. The surface
of the Fansite was sub-excavated in order to place the base of the foundation below ground level.
Forms for the next pour were in the process of being constructed (Figure 6).
• Non-potable water and other fluids were stored at the northern end of the Fansite pad. Containers
were labeled and petroleum products had secondary containment (Figure 7).
• A temporary material storage area has been established at the southeastern corner of the Fansite.
Items stored included HDPE pipe and cable. The area was dry.
• Cut slopes on the eastern side of the pad had been seeded, and wattles were placed along the
bottom of the slope, above the diversion ditch.
• Wattles and straw bales have been installed at numerous locations across the diversion ditch which
runs along the eastern edge of the Fansite (Figure 8).
• Ground squirrels were abundant among the large boulders on the site perimeter.
Elk Creek Mine C-1981-022 19-Aug-2009
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