_INSPECTION - C1981008 (39) - Laserfiche WebLink

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111. 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 Complete Inspection of the New Horizon Mine conducted by Marcia Talvitie of the Colorado DRMS beginning at. 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 17 March 2010. Ross Gubka represented the operator, Western Fuels - Colorado. Skies were clear and temperatures were mild. The permit area was hit with a very wet spring storm over the weekend. The snow had melted, but the ground surface throughout the area ranged from wet to muddy. Current Permitting Activities • PR-06 - The Division's Preliminary Adequacy Review was issued on 22-Jan-2010. WFC continues to work on the response to the adequacy issues raised, and detailed follow-up discussions were held between the Division and WFC on the 16th and 18th of March. • SL-12 - The Division is currently reviewing the SL-12 application for adequacy. It is anticipated that the bond release inspection will be held sometime in May. Availability of Records • Records were available at the mine office for review. A completed DRMS Availability of Records form is attached to this report. Roads • Due to the weekend snow storm, roads were damp throughout the permit area and muddy in spots. • Haul roads were in good shape, allowing coal haul trucks access to the pit for loading. Hydrologic Balance • The water levels in Ponds 007 and 008 remained low,well below the level at which discharge will occur. • Because the risk of freezing temperatures has passed, the water level in Pond 011 has been lowered sufficiently to expose the valves. • Ponds 012 and 013 had both received inflow from runoff associated with the recent spring storm event. The event had also deposited a sizable quantity of sediment in the collection ditch flowing to the southwest corner of Pond 012 (Photo 1). Ross stated that the ditch would be cleaned out when ground conditions were sufficiently dry for equipment to gain access to the location. • The CCC Ditch has not yet been turned "on" for the season; the date this will occur has not been determined. Backfill & Grading • The shovel was down inside the pit, loading shot rock (overburden) into mine haul trucks for transport to the backfill side of the pit. Explosives • According to blasting records, the most recent shot occurred at approximately 11 a.m. on the previous day (16 March) at a distance of 637' from the Morgan home. • The drill rig was not in operation at the time of the inspection, nor was there any activity occurring associated with the use of explosives. New Horizon Mine C-1981-008 17-Mar-2010 .1_