2012-05-17_INSPECTION - C1980007 (2)

Home Browse Search

May 9, 2012 C- 1980- 007/West Elk Mine JRS HYDROLOGIC BALANCE (cont.) - Both cells of Pond MB -5E were almost dry. Water was flowing into the north cell but not the south cell. The water was coming from the waste water treatment pond. The pond is an incised pond but the inslopes were well vegetated and it was stable and no erosional problems were noted on the inslopes. The emergency spillway is a riprapped channel. - Pond MB contained water approximately six inches below the discharge pipe and was not discharging at the time of the inspection. There was water flowing into pond MB -3. The pond was well vegetated and stable and no erosional problems were noted. - The waste water treatment plant pond was full and discharging into pond MB -5E at the time of the inspection. The pond is an incised pond and it was stable. - The ditches in the facilities area and around the coal stockpiles were flowing water at the time of the inspection. All of the ditches were clean and no problems were noted. The culverts in this area were also clean. GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLANCE: - West Elk was currently mining in longwall panel E- . They were at cross -cut 32 at approximately station 60. - Development mining was occurring in the start room for longwall panel E -4. They were at cross -cut 3 (out of 5). The start room for longwall panel E -4 has been moved to the west to avoid the historic sand channel and associated hydrocarbons. Development has been completed in the south mains up to the longwall panel E -6 headgate. Additional development work has been completed in the headgate of longwall panel E -5 to cross -cut 5. - All of the information regarding the current mining was shown on a map in the basement of the mine office building. Mining at the West Elk Mine is progressing as approved in the permit and shown on Map 51 - E -Seam Projected Operations. PROCESSING WASTE /COAL MINE WASTE PILES — Rule 4.10 and 4.11 Drainage Control; Surface Stabilization; Placement: - The operator was not actively placing refuse on the RPEE at the time of the inspection. They were doing work with dozers moving topsoil and subsoil from the area above the working portion of the pile in order extend the pile up the draw. The portion of underdrain that was constructed and visible has now been partially covered with refuse. Before the operator places any more refuse up the draw, another section of underdrain must be built. The portion of the pile where refuse has been placed appeared to be well compacted and was graded to ensure water would flow off of the pile and not pool on the surface. The operator has placed erosion control mats on the colluvial fill to help control erosion. There was also an excavator working on the ditch below the pile. This ditch was not completed in the winter or early spring, due to weather conditions, but is now being built. The operator must also complete the perimeter ditches for the RPEE. - The RPE remained stable at the time of the inspection. The small slump on the east edge, that was noted in last month's inspection, was still there. Robin Schiro indicated that it has been too wet to repair. This will need to be repaired as soon as practical. There is still a large stockpile of refuse on the RPE that needs to be hauled to the RPEE, dumped, spread and compacted. MCC should plan this in such a way that it will be complete before the fall/winter. - The LRP was well vegetated and remains stable. There were no erosional problems noted on the LRP at the time of the inspection. Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 11 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 Page 3 of 14