2011-09-30_INSPECTION - C1981038 (2)

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September 20, 2011 C -19 81 -038 /Bowie No. 1 Mine JJD Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 2 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 Page 3 of 7 During the May 26, 2011 OSM Fed eral inspection, it had been thought that, possibly, there was no gradient to a section of the West Ridge waste pile upland diversion ditch. The operator surveyed the ditch and found t hat there was a positive 1.19% flow gradient towards the road so the di tch was not redug. The resulting disturbance would not have made it worthwhile (Figure 4). There was no standing water in the two upper bin wall sediment ponds, ponds nos. 1 and 2, at the East Mine. As had been documented in the Division’s July 27, 2011 inspection r eport, the tree branch that had become lodged in the primary discharge tube was removed. This had been one of the issues during the May 26, 2011 Federal inspection (Figure 3). Pond no. 2 had been recently cleaned out. The operator had spread the pond cleanings along the reclaimed shoulder of the main dirt road and hydroseeded it. The discharge structures of the two ponds were functional. The two sediment ponds at the West Mine, ponds W -1 and W -2, were also dry. Pond embankments were grassed and appeared to be stable. The open channel emergency spillways were free of any blockage. The sediment pond at the reclaimed run -of -mine coal stockpile area was dry. The pond’s primary discharge gate was closed. There was no debris in the open channel emergency spillway. The coll ection ditch leading to the pond had ample capacity. Steven’s Gulch was flowing. The bin wall sediment pond at the unit train loadout was dry as well. The upland diversion ditch and culverts were in place on the north side of the pond. There was irrigatio n water flowing in the Farmer’s Ditch located underneath the bin wall sediment pond. The collection ditch and half culvert downdrain were in place on the west side of the loadout site. The upland diversion ditch and culvert system in the center of the load out site was operating properly in passing the flow from irrigation. The pond at the partially reclaimed highway coal stockpile area was dry. PROCESSING WASTE/COAL MINE WASTE PILES – Rule 4.10 and 4.11 Drainage Control; Surface Stabilization; Placement: The West Ridge waste pile had a good vegetative cover. The pile’s benches were stable. Also, the terraces’ collection ditches were in place. The old waste pile also had a good vegetative cover and no signs of slope instability were observed. ROADS – Rul e 4.03 Construction 4.03.1(3)/4.03.2(3) Drainage 4.03.1(4)/4.03.2(4) Surfacing and Maintenance4.03.1(5) and (6)/4.03.2(5) and (6) Reclamation 4.03.1(7)/4.03.2(7): The operator had recently narrowed the former haul road at the East Mine by roughening up the shoulders of the road. Since the last inspection, the shoulders of the narrowed dirt road had been hydroseeded. The pond no.2 cleanings that had been spread out over the road’s shoulder looks a little artificial but, hopefully, will blend in over ti me. Cross ditches had been cut into the road for drainage to the road side ditches. The dirt road leading to the West Mine from Steven’s Gulch road was passable. Road culverts were functional. The dirt entrance roads to the well field, reclaimed run -of -mi ne coal stockpile area and the partially reclaimed highway coal stockpile area were passable. The dirt road leading to bin wall pond no. 1 was passable as well. The