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August 13, 2020 C-1981-022/Elk Creek Mine LDS <br />Inspection Topic Summary <br />NOTE: Y=Inspected N=Not Inspected R=Comments Noted V=Violation Issued NA=Not Applicable <br />N - Air Resource Protection <br />N - Roads <br />R - Availability of Records <br />N - Reclamation Success <br />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Revegetation <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - Explosives <br />N - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Support Facilities On-site <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Support Facilities Not On-site <br />N - Other <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />N - Processing Waste <br />N - Topsoil <br />COMMENTS <br />This was a complete inspection by Leigh Simmons of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division). <br />Doug Smith of Oxbow Mining, LLC. (Oxbow) accompanied the inspection. The weather was clear, hot and dry. <br />The status of the Elk Creek Mine is "active" however no coal is being mined and the only activity since the last <br />inspection was site maintenance. <br />AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS — Rule 5.02.4(1): <br />Records were available in the mine office, details are given at the end of this report. Please update the <br />records with a copy of the current executed permit document (RN -7) and with the most recent findings <br />document (RN -7). <br />HYDROLOGIC BALANCE -Rule 4.05 <br />Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, 4.05.6; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; <br />Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; <br />Drainage — Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: <br />Oxbow had installed a continuous temperature data logger in Pond B, adjacent to the discharge point, in <br />compliance with the terms of the recently renewed CDPS permit. At the time of the inspection the water level in <br />the pond was such that the data logger was exposed to the air and recorded a temperature of 97 degrees F. <br />Elk Creek was completely dry at the time of the inspection. Mr. Smith confirmed that the creek runs dry every <br />summer. <br />SUPPORT FACILITIES - Rule 4.04: <br />As a follow up to the SL -2 inspection (July 7-9, 2020), nine exploration boreholes (ECM 10-68 through - <br />76) and the associated pads and roads were inspected. All of the sites inspected are located on land owned by <br />Hotchkiss Ranches. The location of each borehole had been marked with a t -post, with a metal identifying tag <br />attached. All of the pads had been regraded so as to approximate the original topography and were well vegetated <br />with a diverse mixture of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs. Some thistles were evident, particularly on pad ECM <br />10-73, but there were no severe infestations of noxious weeds. The vegetative cover appeared clearly sufficient to <br />stabilize the reclaimed surface. <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 1 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 <br />Page 2 of 10 <br />