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July 10, 2023 C-1981-033/Bear Mine LDS <br /> <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 0 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 <br /> <br /> Page 2 of 16 <br /> <br /> <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 - Availability of Records <br />N - Backfill & Grading <br />N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste <br />N - Explosives <br />N - Fish & Wildlife <br />R - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />N - Processing Waste <br /> <br />N - Roads <br />N - Reclamation Success <br />N - Revegetation <br />N - Subsidence <br />R - Slides and Other Damage <br />N - Support Facilities On-site <br />N - Signs and Markers <br />N - Support Facilities Not On-site <br />N - Special Categories Of Mining <br />N - Topsoil <br /> <br /> <br />COMMENTS <br /> <br />The Bear mine permit is revoked, the site has been reclaimed, and the required inspection frequency has <br />been reduced to quarterly. This report includes observations made on June 29, as well as during the July 10 <br />inspection. The weather was hot and dry, however the spring of 2023 was wetter than average, and the site had not <br />fully dried out yet. Vehicle access to the site from the West Elk Mine was not possible due to flooding, however <br />the site was accessible by foot over the bridge from Somerset. <br />Inspection notes and photographs can be related to their location using the map in Figure 2. <br />Work is expected to resume shortly on the fire mitigation effort at the Edwards/Bear mine, with road <br />improvements/repair the first order of business. <br /> <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 /> The flowrate of the North Fork of the Gunnison had decreased significantly from a peak of over 5000 cfs <br />in May, to around 700-800 cfs by the time of the inspection. This is still well above the historic average flowrate <br />for this time of year, which is around 200 cfs - see figure 1. <br />Flooding on the temporary access road had reduced significantly over the last few weeks, as shown in <br />Figures 3-5, but it was not yet clear that the road would be passable in a light truck without risking getting stuck, <br />so an attempt to pass it was not made. <br />The temporary road that was constructed in order to mitigate and investigate the underground fire was in <br />poor repair, and there was evidence that the disturbed area was having an impact on the hydrologic balance, <br />particularly in terms of uncontrolled sediment run-off. Further details are given below under the Slides and <br />Damage header. <br />Although all sediment control structures that were installed in 2022 are in need of repair, it is notable that <br />while virtually all the straw wattles were destroyed, some sections of silt fence had remained in place and <br />appeared to have been effective. <br />