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
• Monitored the groundwater levels in piezometers within and adjacent to the underground mine
workings and monitored springs and seeps potentially influenced by the re-saturation of the
underground mine workings.
• Monitored piezometers in both the Indian and Tie Camp rock dumps.
• Continued noxious weed control and sprayed approximately 3.5 acres for Canadian Thistle and
Scentless Chamomile using 135 gallons of herbicide.
• Continued removal of pine tree seedings that encroached on the downstream face of the
Sediment Control Pond embankment.
• Monitored monuments and piezometers on the Sediment Control Pond embankment per the
requirements of the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
HMC continued to advance the evaluation of alternatives that can be implemented to reduce uranium load
to SW-33 and establish the Lowest Practical Level (LPL) for uranium. Pilot testing in 2015 and 2016
involving the injection of a mixture of phosphate and conservative tracer into the underground mine
workings and the Indian Rock Dump was successful at treating uranium by precipitation as low-solubility
phosphate-based minerals. Phosphate and non-reactive tracer injections were completed using existing
and recently completed injection/monitoring wells as approved in previous technical revisions (TR-6 and
TR-7)to the reclamation permit.
Building on the success of the 2015 and 2016 injection pilot tests,and in the interest of continued evaluation
of potential alternatives to address the other uranium source loads,the following field activities are planned
for 2017:
• Installation of up to eight reagent injection/recirculation/monitoring wells including:
o Three wells in and around the underground mine workings.
o Five wells in the Indian Rock Dump.
• Drilling of an additional exploration borehole in the underground mine workings to characterize
the Erie Drift.
• Expanded phosphate-based injections into the underground mine workings and Indian Rock
Dump.Associated activities will include the installation of piping and construction of field
implementation-scale reagent injection/recirculation platforms in each area (including concrete
pads, sheds, and fencing).
• Installation of a pilot-scale engineered treatment cell to achieve uranium load reduction along Tie
Camp drainage.
• Implementation of active management strategies, should they become necessary, to control
"treatment residuals" (i.e., residual dissolved constituents present in water resulting from reagent
usage) in surface water upstream of SW-33. In particular, residual phosphate in surface water
resulting from phosphate injections will be managed if needed.
This information is provided for introductory purposes; details of 2016 monitoring, closure, and reclamation
activities are presented in the following sections.
ES-2