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PERMIT #: M -1995 -021 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: MAC <br />INSPECTION DATE: January 15, 2015 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />The inspection was conducted by Michael Cunningham of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(Division). Tammie Crawford, Jim Cherrington and Jerry Wicks of Park County were also present for the <br />inspection. The Chaparral Pit is located approximately 20 miles southwest of Harstel, just south of the Eleven <br />Mile Reservoir near the intersection of County Roads 59 and 890. The commodity of interest is borrow <br />material. The site is permitted for 9.9 acres and the post- mining land use is rangeland. The site shares a <br />common boundary with another Park County site, the Chaparral 2 Pit (M- 1997 -035), and both sites are <br />operated as a single mine site. The ground was covered with several inches of snow at the time of the <br />inspection. <br />The site was not active at the time of the inspection. The Division observed several loaders, a screen and two <br />small portable conveyors. In addition, there were also two sheds and port-a -lets. The permit sign was posted <br />at the site entrance and the permit boundary was clearly delineated. All of the pit walls have been graded to <br />3H:1V or flatter. The Division observed a topsoil stockpile at the north end of the site. The stockpile was <br />vegetated and did not show any signs of erosion. The Operator has committed to importing topsoil as it was <br />determined that there was an insufficient amount of topsoil available to adequately establish vegetation. To <br />date, no topsoil has been imported to the site. The Division encouraged the Operator to start importing <br />topsoil as it becomes available so there is enough topsoil stockpiled for reclamation at the end of the life of <br />the mine. <br />According to the most recent Annual Report, the Chaparral Pit was last active on October 15, 2013. Pursuant <br />to Rule 1.13.5, if the Operator plans to, or does, temporarily cease production of the mining operation for one <br />hundred eighty (180) days or more, the Operator must file a Notice of Temporary Cessation. Temporary <br />cessation is a permit status that allows Operators to cease production without commencing with reclamation <br />of the site. A mine is considered to be active when mining operations are being conducted or when material is <br />removed from stockpiles. As noted above, this site is operated in conjunction with Chaparral 2 Pit, which <br />according to the most recent Annual Report was last active on June 1, 2014. Since both sites are operated as a <br />single mine, the Operator may consider them to both be active when mining is occurring within either one of <br />the sites. <br />During the inspection, the Operator notified the Division that ownership of the property has changed. A <br />review of the permit file found that the Division does not have an updated legal right of entry for the <br />Chaparral Pit; this is considered to be a problem and will require corrective action by the Operator. Please see <br />the first page of this report for additional detail. <br />This concluded the inspection. <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />