2014-03-05_INSPECTION - M1977215

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PERMIT #: M -1977 -215 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: RCO INSPECTION DATE: February 24, 2014 OBSERVATIONS This was a routine inspection conducted by the Division as part of its monitoring of 112 DMO permits. Other reasons for the inspection were for verifying onsite conditions related to the pending decision by the Division on the operator's request for temporary cessation (TC), and to check specific features to be addressed in the environmental protection plan (EPP), such as stormwater management and hydrologic monitoring. The operator named on page one was present throughout the inspection. Also present was Bruce Norquist, who will be assisting in the preparation of the EPP. There were no surface or underground activities occurring on the day of the inspection, though several staff were working in the administration building and core building at the 9360 complex. There was a partial covering of old snow on the site, up to 6 inches deep. The required permit ID sign was observed posted at the entrance gate to the permitted area. Permit boundary markers were observed along the affected area boundaries of the permit. The 9360 and 9400 areas were inspected. The retaining wall south of the administration building and core building is fully installed. It separates the level working surface and parking area adjacent to the buildings from the sloped area below the wall. Regrading and seeding of the slope after retaining wall installation has helped to stabilize this area and reduced its erosion potential. There is a line of straw wattles staked below the regraded area. There is also a constructed parking area drainage location, directing drainage through a gap in the wall. The structure includes rock armoring and a geotextile -lined outlet apron. This should be monitored by the operator to ensure that discharge from this structure does not result in gullying of the hill slope below. Drainage from the northern portion of the 9360 level area is directed toward the north, and enters the gulch near the upper end of the concrete cutoff wall and monitoring wells. The pad surface includes a slight swale which keeps surface water away from the crest (which is also rock bermed). The pad is built up from historic waste rock and capped (for reclamation) with suitable growth medium and revegetated. The permeable waste rock generally allows complete percolation of surface water, with little to no surface runoff at the northerly and of the pad. The dewater holding pond near the center of the 9360 pad is surrounded by a raised berm with rock - armored outlet, and contains a complete impermeable liner. This pond does not release water to the surface drainage from the 9360 pad, and surface drainage of the 9360 pad does not enter the pond. There was only a little precipitation water in the pond. The area below the 9400 waste rock pad has been stripped of topsoil and has been partially filled with waste rock for permanent disposal. The stripped topsoil is windrowed a sufficient distance away from the present toe of the waste rock, leaving adequate room for placement of additional waste rock resulting from further underground development. It may be possible that some impoundment of water may occur in the stripped area below the waste rock, due to the windrowed topsoil acting as a dam. Though this may be unlikely, the operator should examine this potential and mitigate it as needed in the stormwater management portion of the EPP. Sediment control along the lower edges of the topsoil berm and other disturbed areas on the 9360 pad consists of straw wattles staked in place. One of the sides of the topsoil berm, near one of the lower edges, does not contain such sediment control, and it should be installed there as well. The operator will do this when the snow clears, and this is not a problem at this time. The 9400 waste rock dump appears stable, with minimal sloughing, no slope gullying and no tension cracks on Page 2 of 5