_INSPECTION - C1981019 ‎(22)‎

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 9/16/2009
• Email Name: JRS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Colowyo C-1981-019
16 Sept 2009
Pg 5/5
Excess Spoil: The operator was currently dumping overburden from the South Taylor
Pit in the C-C' underdrain area of the East Taylor Fill. The material is coming from the
box-cut area of the South Taylor Pit (the B-1 seam at the time of the inspection). The
dumping has reached the maximum point to the north until Colowyo moves its rock
crusher. Colowyo appears to be on their fourth lift of the fill at this point. The
currently approved plan for the East Taylor Fill is to have 50 million yards of permanent
out of pit spoil and stockpile another 30 million yards of temporary spoil on top for
final reclamation of the South Taylor Pit. Based on the plan profiles for the East Taylor
Fill, Colowyo has exceeded the height for the permanent fill and is now working on
the temporary overburden stockpile. Colowyo has submitted Technical Revision 81
to change this plan but as of 14 September 2009 TR-81 was deemed incomplete.
*See Pictures at the end of this report*
- Colowyo has dumped approximately 100,000 cubic yards (Division estimate) of
overburden material into the West Taylor fill at the confluence of the A-A' and B-B'
underdrains. Colowyo continues to work on the A-A' underdrain. Currently, Colowyo
(through the Bower Brothers) has covered all but the final approximately 900 feet of
the upper portion of the A-A' underdrain. Additionally, Bower was removing topsoil
from the lower portion of the underdrain area so they can complete that. The
current approved plan for the West Taylor Fill calls for the permanent fill to contain 10
million cubic yards of overburden, with no temporary overburden stockpile. Colowyo
has submitted Technical Revision 81, which proposes to increase the volume of the
pile to approximately 50 million cubic yards and stockpile temporary overburden on
the fill. As of 14 September 2009, TR-81 has been deemed incomplete. *See Pictures
at the end of this report*
Revegetation/Reclamation Success: As noted in a previous inspection report (14 July
2009), there is a large patch of cheat grass in the 2007-2008 reclamation area. This
area is approximately 11 acres (as determined by the Division) and is basically in the
center of the rill and gully area described in "backfilling and grading" above. The
Division recommends that Colowyo treat these areas this fall in an effort to control
them and slow/stop their spread to the areas that were just regraded and topsoiled.
Products such as Journey or Plateau have been successful in treating cheat grass in
the past.
Highwall Mining: - ICG is continuing to highwall mine the E-2 Seam of the South Taylor
Pit. They appear to be almost finished with the first mining area and will then move
around the burn area to the north and into the second mining area. All but the last
four of their trailing holes have been filled, as required by the PAP. There is a large
coal stockpile developing to the south of the highwall miner and Colowyo is
removing this coal as they have time and equipment. The highwall mining appears
to be progressing as described in the approved plan.
This completes the 16 September 2009 inspection report for the Colowyo Mine.