Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
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.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
30:901-932.
