Laserfiche WebLink
November 21 and 22, 2011 C- 1981- 008/New Horizon Mine MLT <br />AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS — Rule 5.02.4(1): <br />• Permit records for the New Horizon Mine were available for inspection at the mine office. A <br />completed DRMS Availability of Records form is attached to this report. <br />• A copy of the TR -61 application was available for public viewing at the Montrose County <br />Nucla Annex. The sheets of paper were bound together, and were being held at the front <br />desk, rather than being deposited in the room where other documents are kept. <br />BACKFILL and GRADING — Rule 4.14 <br />Contemporaneous Reclamation 4.14.1; Approximate Original Contour 4.14.2; Highwall <br />Elimination 4.14.1(2)(f); Steep Slopes 4.14.2, 4.27; Handling of Acid and Toxic Materials <br />4.14.3; Stabilization of Rills and Gullies 4.14.6: <br />• The mine shovel was operating on the Western Fuels property, at the northern end of the <br />active pit (Photo 2). It was being used to load mine haul trucks with Bench 1 overburden, to <br />be hauled to the back side of the pit and dumped into the upper level of the pit backfill. <br />EXPLOSIVES — Rule 4.08 <br />Distance Prohibitions 4.08.4; Warnings 4.08.4; Control of Adverse Effects 4.08.4: <br />• The drill rig was nearing completion of an array of holes that would constitute a parting shot <br />(the interburden between the upper and lower coal seams) on the Morgan property (Photo 3). <br />• The parting blast occurred on November 22" The area to be blasted was in close proximity <br />to the site of our soil sampling activities. Prior to the blast, our entire group was relocated to <br />a safe distance (near the western toe of the Lift B stockpile). Warning sirens were sounded <br />before the blast, and the all -clear signal was given afterwards. No adverse effects of the <br />blasting were observed. <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 <br />Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, 4.05.6; Discharge Structures <br />4.05.7, 4.05.10; Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring 4.05.13; <br />Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage — Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments <br />4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br />• The water level in Pond 007 has been lowered for the winter, using a pump. The outlet <br />structure (spillway) and V -notch weir were exposed above the present water line (Photos 4 <br />and 5). <br />• The CCC Ditch was recently reopened to bring the Thanksgiving "pond run" to the area, <br />filling the various stock ponds for the winter. The flow had not yet reached Pond 008, <br />located on the Burbridge property. <br />• Pond 009 was completely dry. <br />• Pond 011 continues to collect a small amount of water at the western end. The eastern end of <br />the pond was disturbed earlier in 2011 with the removal of the topsoil layer as the active pit <br />moved westward. <br />• Pond 012 had a shallow pool of water at its western end, which is the typical condition. <br />Numerous cattails have become established on the pond floor. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 2 Page 3 of 12 <br />