2017-04-14_REPORT - M1977004

• Permit No: M1977004
• IBM Index Class Name: REPORT
• Doc Date: 4/14/2017
• Doc Name: Annual Fee/Report/Map
• From: Barrick Gold
• To: DRMS
• Annual Report Year: 2017
• Email Name: DMC
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Pitch Reclamation Project Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board— 2016 Annual Reclamation Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Homestake Mining Company of California (HMC) operated the Pitch uranium mine in Saguache County,
Colorado from 1979 until 1984. The mine extracted uranium ore and trucked it to their mill in Grants, New
Mexico. In 1984, operations were suspended and the mine was placed into care and maintenance.
Incremental reclamation and revegetation of mine site disturbances were performed throughout the period
of 1985 to 1993. In 1993, HMC initiated the process of permanently closing the mine.
Since 1993, closure and reclamation activities have included pit wall grade-down and partial backfilling of
the North Pit to reduce pit wall movement,the contouring and revegetation of the approximately 230 acres
of disturbed area,construction of a plug in the historical Pinnacle underground mine adit to reduce seepage
and improve water quality, monitoring of slope stability in the North Pit and South mine area; monitoring of
the phreatic surface in the Indian and Tie Camp rock dumps, construction of surface water controls, and
the dismantling and removal of the Radium Treatment Plant (RTP) as well as associated foundation
materials and soils that were placed in the Tie Camp Disposal Cell.
During 2016, HMC maintained the remaining mine facilities and fulfilled permit and license related
compliance programs which included the following activities:
• Monitored water quality at the Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS)permit(No.
CO0022756)compliance point Outfall 001A(also known as SW-33), and submitted monthly
discharge monitoring reports to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
(CDPHE)Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) per the requirements of the CPDS permit
effective January 1, 2010.
• Performed inspection and reporting per the terms and conditions of the Radioactive Materials
License(RML) issued by the CDPHE—Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division
(Permit No. 150-01,Amendment 15).
• Continued improvements in the drainage, stabilization, and reclamation in the constructed marsh
area(near the location of the former RTP and the drainages upstream from the sediment control
pond).
• Monitored erosion and drainage repairs on the northwest side of the Indian Rock Dump above the
clay and low-grade ore stockpiles.
• Monitored pit wall slopes on the south and east walls of the North Pit, the east wall of the South
Mine Area and the Indian and Tie Camp rock dumps.
• The tension cracks on the east wall of the South Mine area were graded closed, positive drainage
of the bench was re-established, a lower bench was added to the slope, and the area was
reseeded.
• Monitored the drainage channel that was constructed in 2013 between the 10,800 and 10,600
benches on the east wall of the North Pit.
• Repaired and reseeded the access road due to sluffing that occurred in 2015.
• Monitored of the continued effectiveness of grading on the top three benches and slope face of
the Tie Camp Rock Dump to reduce sedimentation on the benches and movement of storm water
and snow melt off the benches and reduce erosion on the dump slope.
• Inspected cover repair completed in 2011 on the drainage channel on the Tie Camp Low Grade
Ore Stockpile/Disposal Cell.
• Monitored precipitation at the Pitch rain gauge,which recorded 20 inches of precipitation during
the monitoring period of November 2015 through October 2016 compared with 23 and 31 inches
during the 2015 and 2014 periods, respectively.
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