2011-11-09_INSPECTION - C1981008

Home Browse Search

Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 4 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 Page 3 of 15 receives runoff from the Benson parcels located east and west of 2700 Road. Pond 011 is located in the northwest corner of the Morgan parcel, as shown on Photos 4 and 5. This pond, which previously received water pumped from the mine pit, was drained in the summer of 2011. A small pool of water was present on the pond floor. Pond 012 is located adjacent to Tuttle Draw, on the Lloyd property, as shown in Photo 8. A portion of the pond floor was covered with a shallow pool of water. Backfill and topsoil stockpiles have been constructed next to the pond for use in reclaiming the feature. An elevated water tank is installed adjacent to the northeast corner of Pond 011. Water which collects in the active pit is pumped to this t ank, making it available for the mine to use in dust suppression activities. Overflow from the tank currently flows, by gravity, via a welded HDPE pipe to Pond 013 (Photo 9). For much of the distance, the pipe lies within the collection ditch that flows to Pond 015 (turquoise dashed line). Eventually, the pipe takes its own course (purple dashed line) up and over the undisturbed WFC property, and down into Pond 013. Pond 013, because of the inflow of water pumped from the pit, discharges continuously, or nearly so, into Tuttle Draw. This pond appears on Photo 9, and is located in the far northwestern corner of the permit area, on property owned by Western Fuels. This will be the last area to be mined at the New Horizon Mine. Pond 015 can also be seen in Photo 9. This pond, which lies adjacent to Enstrom Draw at the western end of the WFC parcel, has been designed to contain runoff from the 24 -hour, 100 -year storm event. GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLANCE: As described in the Division’s October 26, 2011 inspec tion report, the pit has now diverged into two separate pieces: the northern limb is located on the Western Fuels parcel, and the southern limb is confined to the Morgan parcel. Between the two pits lies the Enstrom property, which is outside of the perm it area. The pits are being further separated by the operational need to avoid mining the coal beneath and immediately east of Pond 011. Leaving this coal in -place, as shown on Photos 4 and 5, provides the mine with space for an equipment corridor along the western side of the pit. RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: Photo 1 shows the reclaimed areas located in the southeastern portion of the permit area. The majority of parcels identified here, both Irrigated Pasture (IP and Dryland Pasture (DP) w ere included in the original SL -12 application for Phase III bond release. As evidenced in Photos 1, 2 and 6, most parcels east of 2700 Road have been reclaimed to Irrigated Pasture (IP) post -mining land use. The permit area includes three parcels to the w est of 2700 Road and north of BB Road: Benson - West, Lloyd, and WFC (formerly Johnson). The majority of Benson -West and Lloyd are to be reclaimed to DP. However, as approved with PR -06 in December 2010, portions of each property will be irrigated. The i rrigated zones are delineated in blue on Photos 3, 7, and 8. These areas were recently disked, rock -picked, and land leveled. In 2011, a buried irrigation line was installed to service the IP areas of Benson -West and Lloyd. This feature is represented by a yellow line on Photos 2, 3, 7, and 8. In 2009, the portion of the BB Road Detour that was located on the Richards property was reclaimed. Benson requested that the portion of the detour on his property be retained as a permanent feature. These two properties, and the BB Detour alignment, are shown on Photo 6. REVEGETATION – Rule 4.15 Vegetative Cover; Timing: The IP Reference Area is located just outside the southeastern end of the permit, adjacent to the facilities area. The area is outlined in g reen in Photo 10. Approximately six head of livestock can be seen grazing in the reference area.