Laserfiche WebLink
<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 />N - 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 />Y - Revegetation <br />N - Subsidence <br />N - 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 />Y - Topsoil <br /> <br /> <br />COMMENTS <br /> <br />This was a Division partial inspection at the Colowyo Mine conducted by Zach Trujillo of Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division). Dan MacKinnon of the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation <br />Enforcement (OSM) and Tom Fry representing Colowyo Mine (Colowyo) accompained the inspection. The <br />Bureau of Land Management was notified of the inspection but did not attend. The focus of this inspection was for <br />bond release as requested through Colowyo’s SL-22 (Phase II) application. A total of 148.4 acres is being <br />requested for Phase II bond release in East and West Pits. <br />REVEGETATION – Rule 4.15 <br />Vegetative Cover; Timing: <br />At Phase II, Rule 3.03.1(2) (b) states, "Up to eighty-five percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released upon <br />the establishment of vegetation which supports the approved postmining land use and which meets the approved <br />success stand for cover, pursuant to 4.15.8, meets applicable productivity standards for prime farmlands or alluvial <br />valley floors pursuant to 3.03.1(3)(b), or croplands pursuant to 4.15.9. With the exception of prime farmlands, <br />evaluation of vegetation establishment pursuant to this paragraph is based on statistically valid data collected during a <br />single year of the liability period." In regard to Phase II bond release, Rule 3.03.1(3)(b) also states, “No more than <br />(60) percent of the bond shall be released so long as the lands to which the release would be applicable are <br />contributing suspended solids to streamflow or runoff outside the permit area in excess of premining levels as <br />determined by baseline data or in excess of levels determined on adjacent nonmined areas”. Additionally, Rule <br />4.15.8(4)(a) states, “[f]or vegetative cover the revegetated area shall be considered acceptable if statistically <br />adequate sampling and testing pursuant to 4.15.11 demonstrate that the revegetated area cover is not less than 90 <br />percent of the reference area cover or 90 percent of the approved standard or that the revegetated area cover <br />exceeds 90 percent of the reference area cover or 90 percent of the approved standard…”. As part of the Colowyo <br />SL-22 application, a statistical vegetation sampling analysis as well as a sedimentology analysis were provided. <br />Results and the Division’s review of these analyses will be provided as part of the Division’s Proposed Decisions <br />and Findings of Compliance Document for SL-22. <br />Revegetation of the requested Phase II parcels were visually analyzed as part of this inspection. The parcels <br />inspected were EP061, WP026, WP027, WP028, WP029 and WP032. Cheatgrass was observed in three of the <br />reclamation parcels, WP026, WP027 and WP028. Cheatgrass is classified as a List C noxious weed in Colorado. <br />The Colowyo representative stated that the observed cheatgrass was sprayed in reclamation parcels WP026 and <br />WP027. Parcel WP028 was not sprayed at the time of the inspection however is being monitored and on the list <br />for future spraying. Cheatgrass observed in these areas were not representative of the total reclamation parcel and <br />are actively being managed by approved best management practices. Thistle was also observed scarcely and