2010-06-30_INSPECTION - C1996083

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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. This was a complete inspection conducted by Joe Dudash of the Colorado DBMS. Bill Bear represented the operator, Bowie Resources LLC, during the field inspection and records check. Most of the mining activity is in the main entries that lead to the proposed west mine expansion district. There is currently no longwall mining. Main Mine Site The mine id sign was up at the entrance to the mine and contained the required information. The paved haul road was in good condition, although the last curve hasn't been repaved yet. The guard rail was up. The dirt access road up to the utility bench was dry and passable. The road berm was up. Road ditches and culverts were in place and were functional. Surface disturbance markers were up. The utility bench was stable. The back ditch had enough capacity. The topsoil stockpile on the west end of the utility bench was well vegetated and the topsoil sign was up. There was some muddy water at the west end seep but it did not have the characteristic orange color. The subsidence warning sign was up at the head of the road that leads up to the drilling sites. The rock catchment berm was in place. The cut and fill slopes of the D-seam portal bench were stable. The bench's outside edge berm was in place. Only a small volume of coal was stockpiled on the bench. Ditches and culverts on the bench were functional. No problems were observed with any of the facilities structures, including the fuel facility and the cap and powder houses. No problems were noted at the B-seam portal bench either. The cut and fill slopes were stable and the sediment control system was operating properly. The excess material storage stockpile across the haul road from the B-seam portal bench was stable. The main topsoil stockpile was well vegetated and the topsoil signs were present. The material storage area adjacent to the topsoil stockpile was well organized. There were no issues at the wash plant water tank area. The wildlife crossing over the downhill conveyor was in place. There were some coal fines that had dropped from the downhill conveyor but they did not present a problem since the disturbed area drains to pond B. The water level in pond B was below the elevation of the primary discharge pipe. The float was attached to the primary discharge pipe. The pond embankment was stable and culverts and ditches leading into pond B were in place. Surface disturbance markers were up. Mine id signs were up where the permit boundary crosses old state highway 133. There was a small volume of coal on the stockpile bench. There were no issues with fugitive dust. Coal Waste Stockpile Area The gob pile haul road was in good condition, with the road ditch and outside berm in place. The wash plant was not operating at the time of the inspection. Ditches and culverts were clear of debris. The material storage areas along this road were well organized. The water level in pond C was below the primary discharge pipe elevation. There was only a little standing water in pond D. The floats were on the primary discharge pipes for both ponds and the emergency spillways for both ponds were clear of debris. The topsoil stockpile was signed and had a good vegetative cover. The contractor was working on the east side of the second lift of coal waste stockpile no. 2, increasing the outslope from 5H:1 V to 3H:1 V. There was positive drainage off of the pile. The soil material stripped from the previous bench outslope was stockpiled appropriately. The upland diversion ditch was in place and surface