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PERMIT #: M -1982 -131 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: PSH <br />INSPECTION DATE: November 7, 2013 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />The Bucklen Equipment Company Pit was inspected by Peter Hays with the Division of Reclamation, Mining <br />and Safety (Division /DRMS) in response to the Operator submitting the second quarterly report required by <br />TR -02. The report stated the Operator had completed the terms required by the revision and all putrescible <br />material was removed from the pit. Mr. Randy Bucklen with Bucklen Equipment Company, Inc. was present <br />during the inspection. <br />The Division approved TR -02 for the Bucklen Pit on March 19, 2013. The approval required the following: <br />The Operator will have one year from the date of this letter (March 19, 2014) to process the remaining material to <br />remove all putrescible material and submit final documentation of the completed work. The documentation must <br />include a signed affidavit certifying all putrescible material has been removed from the fill placed in the pit as <br />required by Rule 3.1.5(9). Additionally, the Operator is required to provide quarterly communications to the <br />Division documenting the progress made in each preceding quarter. <br />The second quarterly report was submitted by Applegate Group, Inc. on behalf of the Operator on September 19, <br />2013. The report stated the Operator had completed cleanup of the lower lift of material placed in the pit, the <br />vast majority of the material placed in the lower lift was clean and free of putrescible material and any putrescible <br />material encountered was removed from the mining area. This was verified by the Operator trenching six <br />locations and inspecting the material removed and the cut faces. The Operator included an affidavit stating all <br />putrescible material has been removed from the fill placed in the pit. Photographs of the completed cleanup <br />work were not available due to the recent flooding event in the area. <br />The purpose of this inspection was to observe the completed cleanup work. The upper surface of the lower lift <br />was exposed at the time of the inspection. The Operator stated a small amount of material had been placed in <br />the area to improve drainage since the completion of the cleanup effort. The area appeared stable and free of <br />putrescible material. The Operator backfilled the east highwall with new imported material to stabilize the cut <br />and prevent damage to the adjacent road. <br />The Division will require the Operator to modify TR -02 to represent how the putrescible material was removed <br />from the site. The approved revision states the Operator planned to process the material in the lower lift by <br />systemically removing material place in the work area, extracting all putrescible materials that may be <br />encountered, replacing clean material in the same work area, and moving on to the next until the entire lower lift <br />has been processing in this matter. The Operator was not able to perform the cleanup work as intended due to <br />groundwater encountered in the area. The revision must be modified to explain and justify how the putrescible <br />material was removed from the area and verified by the Operator. <br />The backfill material to replace the upper lift of material removed by the Operator will be provided by the City of <br />Greeley. The material is from road excavation projects, which are required to be backfilled with flow fill and is <br />stored in the lot south of the Bucklen Pit. The future backfill material was observed during the inspection by the <br />Division. The Operator will be required to submit an affidavit as required by Rule 3.1.5(9) certifying the material is <br />clean and inert. <br />Photographs taken during the inspection are attached. <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />