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July 14,2011 C-1980-007/West Elk Mine TAK <br /> Inspection Topic Summary <br /> NOTE: Y=Inspected N=Not Inspected R=Comments Noted V=Violation Issued NA=Not Applicable <br /> N -Air Resource Protection N -Roads <br /> N -Availability of Records N -Reclamation Success <br /> N -Backfill&Grading N -Revegetation <br /> N -Excess Spoil and Dev.Waste N - Subsidence <br /> N -Explosives R -Slides and Other Damage <br /> N -Fish&Wildlife N - Support Facilities On-site <br /> N -Hydrologic Balance N -Signs and Markers <br /> N -Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan N - Support Facilities Not On-site <br /> N -Other N -Special Categories Of Mining <br /> N -Processing Waste N -Topsoil <br /> COMMENTS <br /> This was a partial inspection conducted by Tom Kaldenbach of DRMS. Ryan Sweetwood represented the <br /> operator. The ground was dry. <br /> SLIDES and DAMAGE -Rule 4.12: <br /> A slide has developed on the north-facing slope approximately 300 feet southeast of the upper cell of the <br /> Refuse Pile Expansion ponds(see attached Figure 1 and photos). The slide extends roughly 400 feet across the <br /> slope and 300 feet down the slope,an area of roughly three acres. The horizontal distance from the toe of the slide <br /> to State Highway 133, downslope, is estimated to be approximately 100 feet. The slide is within and extends <br /> uphill from an area of a historical slide that was first reported several decades ago. The mine operator is <br /> constructing a haul road in this area for the Refuse Pile Expansion East 9(approved in TR-120, April 2010). <br /> Construction began in late 2010. The slide had been noticed as an area of sloughing during the DRMS's May <br /> 2011 inspection. The operator's representative explained that the slide developed in May 2011. Other slides <br /> occurred on the slopes of the North Fork valley outside of mine disturbed areas in the spring of 2011,including a <br /> small failure on the edge of the subject slide. <br /> In the slide area,road construction had advanced as far as constructing a pioneer road. Prior to the slide,a <br /> segment of the pioneer road had extended along the top of the historical slide area(as approved in TR-120),but <br /> now this segment of road has been taken out by the slide. A well-defined head scarp is at the top of the slide, <br /> where a thick sandstone bed is exposed. The slide appears to be composed of colluvial material. Water was <br /> seeping out of the colluvial material in several places. The mine operator has dug trenches in places on the slide <br /> and placed plastic pipe to carry water off of the slide. The operator plans to continue road construction in the slide <br /> area after the ground conditions are dry. <br /> I left a phone message with Eric Langford with CDOT in Montrose on July 15, 2011,notifying him of the slide. <br /> Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year, ending 6/30/12: 1 <br /> Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 0 <br /> Page 2 of 9 <br />