2015-11-16_INSPECTION - M1980244

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NEWMONT 11 November 2015 Newmont Mining Corporation Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Co 100 N 3rd Street PO Box 191 Victor, CO 80860 T 719-689-2977 F 719-689-3254 www newmont corn SENT CERTIFIED, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 7014-2870-0001-3417-6661 Mr. Timothy Cazier, P.E. Environmental Protection Specialist Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Office of Mined Land Reclamation 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 Re: Permit No. 1980-24A ; Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company ("CC&V"); Cresson Project; — Respo - e to questions from the November 10, 2015 inspection Tim, You asked several questions that required follow-up. Please find our responses below: • You asked for a geotechnical interpretation of the cracking on the Goat Trail near the lookout on the Arequa VLF. Our geotechnical team who has worked with both the internal and external experts who have reviewed the cracking put together the following for you. Cracks began to form on the ADR road in the early part of October, 2015. After field observations were completed with site and corporate geotechnical Newmont employees we decided to monitor for movement using crack meters and bucket prisms with a total station. Over the course of the first week of monitoring it was confirmed the road was moving at a rate of 0.1 inches/week to the southeast (toward the active leaching phase). We are continuing to monitor this area for movement. Conclusions: the cracks formed due to dip/slip movement and no shear component was measured by the bucket prisms. Geotechnical interpretation: the cracks in the road likely resulted from differential settling due to internal pad loading/unloading activities to the southeast; combined with a general drying trend in the leach pad compared to an unusually high precipitation summer.