2015-04-03_INSPECTION - M1989004

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PERMIT #: M -1989 -004 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ERR INSPECTION DATE: March 26, 2015 OBSERVATIONS The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division/DRMS) conducted an inspection of the Raymond Duell Pit (Permit File No. M- 1989 -004), a Construction Material Limited Impact 110c Operation Reclamation Permit with 9.1 permitted acres and an approved post mining land use of Rangeland. The mine is located approximately 2 miles west - northwest of Seibert, Colorado. Elliott Russell, with the Division, inspected the site. Dave Hornung, representing the Operator, accompanied the inspection. This inspection was carried out as a part of the Division's normal monitoring program. At 11:00, the Division met Mr. Hornung at the mine site, located 1.75 miles west of Colorado Highway 59, on the north side of County Road V. At the time of the inspection the temperature was cool, the sky was partly cloudy, and the ground was damp. The mine site identification sign was observed at the entrance to the site and was in compliance with Rule 3.1.12(1). The permit boundary was delineated by metal t- posts; GPS points were taken at these marker locations using a Trimble Juno 3b unit. The site was not currently being mined at the time of the inspection and there was no equipment on the site. Mr. Hornung stated that Kit Carson County hauls material out of this site every year; observations made during the inspection appear to support this statement. The site consisted of a single excavated area, approximately 2 acres in size, just south of the ephemeral stream channel known as Sand Creek. The pit consists of a western, southern, and eastern slope and "daylights" on the north side to the creek channel. A large product stockpile was located along the east edge of this pit and west of the truck turn- around. Topsoil had been stripped from the site and piled along the crest of the western and southern slopes of the pit. Mr. Hornung stated that the operation wasn't likely to increase in size because the material stockpiled is sufficient for the County's need for several years. Additionally, when the product stockpile becomes depleted, the County would push deposited material from the creek channel up into a stockpile again. The approved reclamation plan calls for all slopes to be no steeper than 4H:1 V and areas outside of the creek channel would have the salvaged topsoil replaced and the area be scarified, fertilized, mulched, and seeded with little bluestem (2.1 PLS), sideoats grama (2.3 PLS), prairie sandreed (1.0 PLS), switchgrass (0.2 PLS), needle and thread (0.6 PLS), blue grama (0.3 PLS), and big bluestem (1.1 PLS). The Division made the recommendation that when the next time the County has equipment at the site to grade and replace topsoil along the the western and southern slopes; this could be achieved since the pit will not be advanced anymore and would reduce the total amount of required reclamation when the County decides to close the site. The County will need to leave a small stockpile of topsoil for future reclamation of the eastern slope. After reviewing the permit file, the Division believes there was an error with the site maps submitted as a part of the conversion application in 2006. These maps indicate a nearly square- shaped permit with 640 feet east -west and 620 feet north south boundaries and a haul road from Count Road V with a length of 541 feet to the southeast corner of the site. Based on site observations and where the current boundary markers are located, this length of haul road should be shorter, thus correcting the permit boundaries. The Division estimates that the haul road should only be approximately 470 feet. The Division will cite this as a problem, requiring corrective action; please see page 1 of this report for more information on this problem. A Technical Revision to the permit will be required to update the Mine Plan Map and Reclamation Plan Map to reflect this correction (please refer to Rule 6.2.1(2) and Rule 6.3.5 for specific requirements of these maps). The Division requests Kit Carson County review that this correction will occur on the same parcel of land and verify that the legal right to enter is still valid. Page 2 of 6