La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XV-5377

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XV-5377 - Coal Processing Waste Banks: Site Inspection

A. Inspections. A qualified registered professional engineer, or other qualified professional specialist under the direction of the professional engineer, shall inspect the refuse pile during construction. The professional engineer or specialist shall be experienced in the construction of similar earth and waste structures.

1. Such inspections shall be made at least quarterly throughout construction and during critical construction periods. Critical construction periods shall include at a minimum:

a. foundation preparation including the removal of all organic material and topsoil;

b. placement of underdrains and protective filter systems;

c. installation of final surface drainage systems; and

d. the final graded and revegetated facility. Regular inspections by the engineer or specialist shall also be conducted during placement and compaction of coal mine waste materials. More frequent inspections shall be conducted if a danger of harm exists to the public health and safety or the environment. Inspections shall continue until the refuse pile has been finally graded and revegetated or until a later time as required by the office.

2. The qualified registered professional engineer shall provide a certified report to the office promptly after each inspection that the refuse pile has been constructed and maintained as designed and in accordance with the approved plan and these regulations. The report shall include appearances of instability, structural weakness and other hazardous conditions.

3. The certified report on the drainage system and protective filters shall include color photographs taken during and after construction, but before underdrains are covered with coal mine waste. If the underdrain system is constructed in phases, each phase shall be certified separately. The photographs accompanying each certified report shall be taken in adequate size and number with enough terrain or other physical features of the site shown to provide a relative scale to the photographs and to specifically and clearly identify the site.

4. A copy of each inspection report shall be retained at or near the minesite.

B. If any inspection discloses that a potential hazard exists, the office shall be informed promptly of the finding and of the emergency procedures formulated for public protection and remedial action. If adequate procedures cannot be formulated or implemented, the office shall be notified immediately. The office shall then notify the appropriate emergency agencies that other emergency procedures are required to protect the public from the coal processing waste area.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XV-5377

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 5:395 (December 1979), amended LR 14:441 (July 1988), LR 20:447 (April 1994).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:901-932.