2021-07-16_INSPECTION - M2010047

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PERMIT#: M-2010-047 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ECS INSPECTION DATE: July 15,2021 activities by the corrective action date. The revised reclamation plan shall also provide sufficient detail to show how surface drainage, which was previously conveyed by the channel through the middle of the permit, will be conveyed from the north end of the site to the existing culverts in the SE corner of the site. This plan should contain all appropriate design drawings and specifications for this drainage channel as well as an estimate for cost to construct/install. CORRECTIVE ACTION DUE DATE: 9/14/21 OBSERVATIONS This was a surety verification/monitoring inspection of the 40.2 acre Lone Tree Pit now operated by C&H Excavation. Eric Scott of DRMS met permittee representatives Cliff Simpson and Kenny Kern at the site entrance from WCR 37. The permit identification sign was present at the site entrance (photo 1). The permit boundary was adequately marked with existing fencing. The site is currently being mined, and the entire site has been affected at this time with the exception of approximately 3 acres of the SE corner of the site which still contains many cottonwood trees. Active mining was taking place in the north half of the permit (see attached photos). A portion of the northwest perimeter and corner of the site has been re-sloped and topsoil replaced for final reclamation. A working face approximately 1000' feet long and 20' high is currently present near the north center of the site. Excavated material was being loaded directly into haul trucks and transported across WCR 37 into the recently amended North Weld Gravel permit (M1976-018), also now held by C&H Excavation, for processing. The south half of the Lone Tree Pit site remains in much the same condition observed during the previous January 2020 inspection, although it should be noted that the small area of exposed water previously noted has been backfilled, and the steep slopes on the SW perimeter of the permit area have been corrected. A large steel tank and some other minor trash was present in this south area of the site, and will need to be removed from the permit. The Division observed, based on this inspection, that the financial warranty is not adequate to reclaim the site in accordance with the approved reclamation plan at this time. The required increase is due primarily to the fact that the existing bond has not been adjusted since the permit was issued in 2010, and that the entire site has been affected to at least some extent at this time. The Division will recalculate the required reclamation bond based on conditions observed during this inspection and the approved reclamation plan. A surety increase will then be issued under separate cover. The operator will have 60 days from the date on the surety increase notice to post the additional required financial warranty. In addition, based on the observed activity at the site and discussions with Mr. Simpson,the mining and reclamation plans for this site need to be updated. As previously noted in this report, this will require submittal of a technical revision (TR) to modify these portions of the approved permit as appropriate. Additionally,the submitted revision must include the design specifications and installation costs for a surface drainage pathway for Lone Tree Creek through the site now that the natural channel has been removed by mining activity. The technical revision should be submitted to DRMS prior to the corrective action date shown above (9/14/21). No other issues were noted during this inspection. Representative photos of the current site conditions have been attached to this report. Page 2 of 4