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-28- <br /> NOV C-84-102 <br /> Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. <br /> I. FINDING OF VIOLATION <br /> During the May, 1984 inspection, Jim Herron, of the Mined Land <br /> Reclamation Division, observed that the haul road drainage system to <br /> the inactive No. 5 mine was not functioning properly in four different <br /> locations. Information presented at the conference showed graphic <br /> evidence of the haul road drainage problems. However, the larger <br /> context in which these problems occurred must be considered. <br /> The Wright Water Engineers hydrologic study showed strong evidence that <br /> a runoff volume exceeding the amount expected from a 10-year 24-hour <br /> storm event was discharged three days in a row during the week prior to <br /> this inspection. This discharge was measured below the coal <br /> preparation plant at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet. The <br /> haul road to the No. 5 mine approaches 10,000 feet in elevation. It is <br /> very likely that the peak flow of runoff from the Mine No. 5 area <br /> occurred later than the peak flow measured below the prep plant. This <br /> is because with higher elevations there are colder temperatures and, <br /> accordingly, later snow melt. <br /> While there was one set of tire tracks on the Mine No. 5 access road, <br /> officials from the company did not seem to be aware that the No. 5 mine <br /> road was open. An attempt to drive on this road 10 days prior to the <br /> inspection was made but aborted due to heavy snowpack conditions. <br /> Since it is likely that the peak flow from snow melt in the Coal Basin <br /> area occurred a matter of days before the inspection, and that this <br /> flow would be expected to disrupt drainage control systems, it is <br /> likely that the problems which were observed in the haul road drainage <br /> system came about as a result of a runoff event exceeding a 10-year <br /> 24-hour storm. <br /> The No. 5 mine is currently inactive. The operator had reason to <br /> believe that the access road was impassable. Therefore, road drainage <br /> maintenance work had not yet begun. There was no evidence of a road <br /> drainage problem at the bottom of the Mine No. 5 access road. For the <br /> reasons stated above, the Director vacates NOV C-84-102. <br /> a <br />