_INSPECTION - C1980007 (19) - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 19,2013 C-1980-007/West Elk Mine JRS backfilled areas. The site was graded to allow for positive drainage and there did not appear to be any low spots where water would pool up. There was a small ditch that ran basically through the center of the pad. This ditch will be a grass-lined channel. The ditch was stable and no erosional problems were noted. The reclaimed pad was covered with the slash from the pad,placed on contour,to help control erosion. There was no erosion noted on the backfilled and regraded pad and there was no sediment from the pad off-site. Both MDWs were plugged and sealed and had their makers in place. There was a lot of good first-year vegetative growth on the pad,with perennial grasses and forbs present. There were also several box elders,which were transplanted,on the reclaimed pad. Although not a Phase I Bond Release criterion, all of the stripped topsoil has been replaced on the drill pad. No topsoil depth measurements were taken as all stripped topsoil on a drill pad is stockpiled on site and replaced on that site following backfilling and regrading. There was some bull thistle noted on the site,which will need to be sprayed. Overall,the reclamation on this drill pad was excellent and completed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. -The second drill pad in Box Canyon,for MDWs 19-06,was well graded and stable with no erosional problems noted on the pad. The pad was graded to blend with the surrounding undisturbed areas and there were no signs of cracking, settling or slumping in the backfilled areas. The site was graded to allow for positive drainage and there did not appear to be any low spots. The MDW was plugged and sealed and had a borehole maker in place. The pad was covered with the slash,which is placed on contour,to help control erosion. There was a lot of good first- year vegetative growth on the pad,with perennial grasses and forbs present. There were also several box elders, which were transplanted,on the reclaimed pad. There were a few Canadian thistle plants noted on the pad. This thistle will need to be sprayed. Although not a Phase I Bond Release criterion, all of the stripped topsoil has been replaced on the drill pad. No topsoil depth measurements were taken as all stripped topsoil on a drill pad is stockpiled on site and replaced on that site following backfilling and regrading. Overall,the reclamation on the second drill pad in Box Canyon was excellent and completed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. - The third drill pad in the Box Canyon area was for MDWs 20-23 and 20-25. The pad was well graded and stable and was graded well to blend with the surrounding undisturbed areas. There was no settling, slumping or cracking noted in the backfill at the time of the inspection. The site was graded to allow for positive drainage and there was a small drainage channel constructed down the middle of the reclaimed pad. The water from this small drainage channel flows through several straw waddles then out to the undisturbed area. There was no sediment behind any of these straw waddles or in the undisturbed areas. There was a lot of slash placed on the pad to help limit access and control erosion. The MDWs were plugged and sealed and had borehole makers in place. There was a lot of good first-year vegetative growth on the pad,with perennial grasses and forbs present. There were also a lot of box elders,which were transplanted,on the reclaimed pad. There were a few Canadian thistle plants noted on the pad. This thistle will need to be sprayed. Although not a Phase I Bond Release criterion, all of the stripped topsoil has been replaced on the drill pad. No topsoil depth measurements were taken as all stripped topsoil on a drill pad is stockpiled on site and replaced on that site following backfilling and regrading. Overall, the reclamation on the third drill pad in Box Canyon was excellent and completed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. -The fourth drill pad in the Box Canyon area was for MDWs 6-21-25.5 and 6-21-28. The pad was well graded and stable and was graded well to blend with the surrounding undisturbed areas. There were several cracks that appeared to be tension cracks at the upper edge of the pad. These cracks did not appear to very deep(the deepest was approximately six inches deep) and did not appear to be moving. These cracks were not bad enough to consider excluding the pad from the SL-05 bond release but West Elk will need to continue to monitor them and Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 9 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 Page 3 of 53