Laserfiche WebLink
PERMIT #: M -1998 -060 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ERR <br />INSPECTION DATE: March 26, 2015 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division/DRMS) conducted an inspection of the Dorsch Pit <br />(Permit File No. M- 1998 -060), a Construction Material Limited Impact 110c Operation Reclamation Permit <br />with 9.7 permitted acres and an approved post mining land use of Pastureland. The mine is located <br />approximately 7 miles south - southwest of Flagler, Colorado. Elliott Russell, with the Division, inspected the <br />site. Dave Hornung, representing the Operator, accompanied the inspection. This inspection was carried out as a <br />part of the Division's normal monitoring program. <br />At 12:15, the Division and Mr. Hornung arrived at the mine site, located 1.5 miles south of County Road N, on <br />the east side of County Road 3. At the time of the inspection the temperature was warm, the sky was clear, and <br />the ground was dry. The mine site identification sign was observed at the entrance to the site and was in <br />compliance with Rule 3.1.12(1). The permit boundary had been delineated by metal t- posts; GPS points were <br />taken at these marker locations using a Trimble Juno 3b unit. The site was not currently being mined at the time <br />of the inspection and there was no equipment on the site. <br />The site consists of two distinct areas: an active pit on the western half of the site and an inactive area on the <br />eastern half. The active pit had a highwall, approximately 10 -15 feet high, into the side of a small hill side with <br />topsoil stripped and piled along the southern and western edges of the pit. One product stockpile was located on <br />the pit floor and a small vegetated stockpile was located inside the truck turn- around for the active portion of <br />the site. Mr. Hornung stated that Kit Carson County hauls material out of this site every year; observations <br />made during the inspection appear to support this statement. The eastern portion of the site consists of three <br />areas which will be called east, middle, and west for clarification in this report. The east area appeared to have <br />been naturally reclaimed with only a small spot needing to be re- seeded; the middle area was left un- reclaimed <br />and contained a southern and northern slope which appeared to have no topsoil, but some volunteer vegetation <br />has established; and the west area appeared to be adequately vegetated and contained no slopes. The east area <br />was near the eastern boundary of the site and the west area was transition area between the active pit and the <br />inactive area. <br />After the inspection, the Division analyzed the collected GPS data from the boundary markers and found that <br />these markers were incorrectly placed. The rectangular- shaped delineated area encompasses 12 acres. After <br />further review of the permit files that Division discovered that the northeast boundary marker is likely to be in <br />the correct location using the dimensions provided in the Mining Plan Map submitted on July 10, 1998. Using <br />these dimensions the Division created the attached map and has estimated that approximately 3.25 acres have <br />been disturbed outside of the approved permit boundary (please note that the Division calculated 3.79 acres <br />as the total disturbance area to the west of the permit boundary and then subtracted out the approved .54 acre <br />haul road). The Division used a Google Earth aerial imaged dated 7/17/2013 to calculate this acreage; the image <br />displays a disturbance that is representative of what the Division observed on the ground during the inspection. <br />The Division considers mining more than 2 acres outside of the approved permit boundary as a violation for <br />mining without a permit. A Reason To Believe letter that a violation exists will be sent with or under a separate <br />cover of this report. <br />Page 2 of 7 <br />