2013-04-11_HYDROLOGY - C1981012

• Permit No: C1981012
• IBM Index Class Name: Hydrology
• Doc Date: 4/11/2013
• Doc Name: 4th Quarter 2012 Sedimentation Pond Inspection Letter ‎(Emailed)‎
• From: DRMS
• To: Ron Thompson
• Permit Index Doc Type: Sediment Pond Inspections
• Email Name: LDS
• Email Name: DIH
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
STATE OF COLORADO
COLORADO
D I V I S I ON OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
April 10, 2013
John W. Hickenlooper
Governor
Ron Thompson
Mike King
Executive Director
New Elk Coal Company, LLC
12250 Highway 12
Loretta E. Pineda
Director
Weston, CO 80182
Re: New Elk Mine (Permit No. C- 1981 -012)
2012, Q4, Sediment Pond Inspection Reports
2012 MSHA Annual Impoundment Report
Dear Mr. Thompson,
The Division received New Elk Coal Company's 2012 Fourth Quarter Sediment Pond Inspection
Reports on Apri l 4, 2013. The reports state that:
• Pond numbers 004, 007, 008, 006;
• West Portal containments 1 and 2; and
• RDA containments North, SE and SW (which are numbered 5, 3 and 4 respectively on map 13)
were inspected on December 20, 2012, which is acceptable and occurred within the fourth quarter of
2012.
According to section 2.05.3(4) of the permit, New Elk Mine has 3 sediment ponds, each of which is
numbered in accordance with the NPDES permit numbers: ponds 004, 007 and 008. A fourth pond,
pond 005, was reclaimed in 2003. Ponds 001 and 006 are used for storage /mine water discharge and
preparation plant process water storage respectively.
Pond 006 is designed as a closed loop with the preparation plant. The report states that it is currently out
of service and has been drained and cleaned in readiness for lining.
The vegetative cover on ponds 004 is described as "excellent ". No concerns are raised about erosion,
stability or storage capacity. The elevation of the primary riser is recorded as 7450.57' , which is
consistent with the 1985 survey value in Table 23. The elevation of the top of the sediment is recorded
as 7745', which is presumably an error, since no inflow to pond 004 was observed in 2012. This
elevation should be verified.
At pond 007 no problems are reported with regard to vegetation, erosion or stability. The report states
that the pond was holding water to an elevation of 7374', but that the elevation of the top of the
sediment could not be determined. It is noted that the operator plans to de -water the pond in Q 1 of 2013,
which will allow the sediment level to be surveyed and the pond to be cleaned out, if necessary. The
sediment elevation should be reported in the next quarterly pond inspection report.
Pond 008 treats run -off from the RDA and is subject to regulation by MSHA. A copy of the MSHA
Annual Impoundment Report for 2012 was submitted to the Division, no problems were noted.
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Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines