March 2012 Geo/Envionmental Citations at Alpha's Lick Branch Impoundment

MSHA issued 3 citations related to risk of downstream failure in March of 2012.  Two of these citations were served to Terry Harms at Geo/Envionmental Ass. who was  also involied in the Martin County Coal Slurry Impoundment Failure.  MSHA fined Geo/Envionmental $300 and Alpha Natural Resources just under $300 for these citatiions. 

"Citation 8238908 was issued to geo/envionmental associates for the failure of the qualified person to conduct an adequate 7-day examination. The failed ditch liningswere not recorded in the 7-day examination report for 3/13/2012.  There had been no rain since the examination that could have caused the failure of the channel linings. The failed sections of the ditches were clearly visible to anyone driving by on the access road"

"The abutment ditches that were not constructed in accordance with the approved plan have already failed.  if uncorrected this condition will result in the slop failure that would flood the downstream shop and office resulting in injuries"

"if uncorrected the condition will result in failure of the downstream slope of the dam"

Violation existed for several years

"Design Engineer would have know the condition existed if he had met the staqndard of care for monitoring engineered construction"