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October 6, 2010 C- 2010- 089/New Horizon North Mine MLT <br />Inspection Topic Summary <br />NOTE: Y= Inspected N =Not Inspected R= Comments Noted V= Violation Issued NA =Not Applicable <br />NA - Air Resource Protection <br />NA - Roads <br />NA - Availability of Records <br />NA - Reclamation Success <br />NA - Backfill & Grading <br />NA - Revegetation <br />NA - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />NA - Subsidence <br />NA - Explosives <br />NA - Slides and Other Damage <br />NA - Fish & Wildlife <br />NA - Support Facilities On -site <br />NA - Hydrologic Balance <br />NA - Signs and Markers <br />NA - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />NA - Support Facilities Not On -site <br />R - Other <br />NA - Special Categories Of Mining <br />NA - Processing Waste <br />NA - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />• An application for the New Horizon North (NHN) Mine was submitted by WFC on September 28, <br />2010. At the time of this site visit, the Division had not yet determined whether the application was <br />Complete for purposes of filing. <br />The purpose of the site visit (inspection) was to observe the pre- mining conditions within the <br />proposed permit area, including: areas previously disturbed by "pre -law" coal mining; areas <br />disturbed and reclaimed under the New Horizon 1 (NH 1) Mine Permit; and those areas undisturbed <br />by previous mining activities. <br />Equipment Corridor <br />The inspection began with an exploration on -foot of the proposed equipment transport corridor. <br />Following completion of mining operations at the current New Horizon 2 (NH2) mine, the mine's <br />shovel; haul trucks; bulldozers and loaders will travel overland from the northwestern corner of the <br />NH2 permit area to the southeastern corner of the NHN operations area, a distance of approximately <br />0.8 miles. The proposed route is estimated to disturb approximately 5 acres, and crosses an area that <br />was originally mined by Peabody Coal Company prior to the advent of the Federal Surface Mining <br />and Reclamation Act. Western portions of the pre -law disturbance were subsequently incorporated <br />into the NH1 permit boundary and were granted final bond release. <br />When viewed from the air, the pre -law disturbance appears incongruous with the surrounding terrain. <br />On the ground, however, the revegetation efforts appear to have been remarkably successful. Rubber <br />rabbit brush was plentiful across the area, and we observed several small Pinyon pines and juniper <br />trees, along with some sage brush and fourwing saltbush (Photo 1). The bottoms of the reconstructed <br />channels were well- vegetated, and the channels upstream of "Pond 001" (Photo 2) were home to <br />wetlands type species (Photo 3). <br />• Vegetation on the areas reclaimed with the NH1 Mine (south of AA Road) exhibited a higher <br />proportion of grasses, including alkali sacaton, Indian ricegrass, blue grama, buffalograss, needle - <br />and- thread grass, and others that were not identified. <br />• Signs of wildlife were abundant throughout the pre -law disturbance, especially deer and elk. Shallow <br />surface depressions were seen (Photo 4), some of which retain water on a seasonal basis and appear to <br />enhance the wildlife habitat aspects of the area. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 0 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 0 Page 2 of 7 <br />