Laserfiche WebLink
January 25, 2012 C -1981 -035 /King Coal Mine MLT <br /> <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection thi s Fiscal Year: 5 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 2 Page 3 of 9 <br /> <br />of snowfall in recent days. Snow within the King II surface facilities was melting, resulting <br />in wet to muddy conditions under foot. The melting snow provided us with an excellent <br />opportunity to observe the various collection ditches in action. Site ditches and culverts are <br />shown on Permit Map King II -007 A. <br /> Relatively small but steady flows were entering the King II Sediment Pond via culverts C6 <br />and C7. The water level in the pond was low, and a portion of the pond bottom was covered <br />with ice and snow (Photo 3). <br /> Culvert C6 carries runoff which originates from the western portion of the King II site, while <br />the eastern fork drains to Culvert C7. During the inspection, we observed that each of the <br />culverts and ditches was flowing unobstructed (Photos 4 and 5). <br /> The West Clearwater Diversion Ditch was snow -cov ered throughout its length. The East <br />Clearwater Diversion Ditch was predominantly covered with snow, and a segment of the <br />ditch, northeast of the screen tower, had ponded water due to the low gradient of the flow <br />line (Photo 6). <br /> The East and West ponds at King I were both frozen over. <br /> <br />ROADS – Rule 4.03 <br />Construction 4.03.1(3) / 4.03.2(3); Drainage 4.03.1(4) / 4.03.2(4); Surfacing and Maintenance <br />4.03.1(5) and (6) / 4.03.2(5) and (6); Reclamation 4.03.1(7) / 4.03.2(7): <br /> Due to the melting snow, the roads wer e wet to muddy throughout the King II facilities area. <br /> At King I, the road had been plowed from the entrance only to the bath house. <br /> <br />SUPPORT FACILITIES - Rule 4.04: <br /> Installation of the new permanent screen unit resulted in numerous pieces of equipment being <br />temporarily mobilized to the King II facilities. While the defective screen was being <br />dismantled and the new screen was being installed, a portable screen, along with a set of <br />portable conveyors (Photo 7), was utilized to transport coal from Coal St ack Tube #1 to the <br />Coal Stack Tube #2 storage pile. This array appeared to be in the process of being <br />dismantled at the time of the inspection. <br /> The contractor who installed the new screen also had equipment temporarily on site. We <br />observed welding units being loaded onto a truck for removal from the mine site. A <br />temporary tank of dyed diesel fuel, with a livestock tank functioning as secondary <br />containment (Photo 8), was located at the northeast corner of the sediment pond, and will <br />presumably removed in the near future. <br /> The temporary screen did not have the capability to crush the larger lumps of coal, so all of <br />the oversized material that accumulated while the temporary screen was in use was <br />stockpiled around the perimeter of the Coal Stack Tube #1 pad (Photo 9 ). This m aterial will <br />be fed through the new screen as time allows. <br /> Behind the fuel storage building at King II, a sump has been previously excavated to contain <br />runoff from the building site and thereby prevent petroleum products from being immediately <br />transported across the facilities area. During this inspection, surface runoff was flowing into <br />this sump (Photo 10 ). The water in the sump appeared to be substantially free of petroleum <br />contaminants; no oily sheen was visible on the surface.