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October 25, 2023 C-1981-022/Elk Creek Mine LDS <br /> <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 3 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 <br /> <br /> Page 2 of 13 <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 />N - Hydrologic Balance <br />N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan <br />N - Other <br />N - Processing Waste <br /> <br />N - Roads <br />R - Reclamation Success <br />N - 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 />N - Topsoil <br /> <br /> <br />COMMENTS <br /> <br />This was a partial inspection by Leigh Simmons of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(Division). Doug Smith of Oxbow Mining, LLC (Oxbow), Tom Medlin of the Office of Surface Mining <br />Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) and Dan Gray of the United States Forest Service, Paonia Ranger <br />District (USFS) accompanied the inspection.The weather was warm, clear and dry. The status of the Elk Creek <br />Mine is “active” however no coal is being mined and the only activity since the last inspection was site <br />maintenance. The primary focus of the inspection was sites included in the SL-8 Partial Phase III Surety Release <br />application. <br /> <br />RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: <br /> All sites included in the SL-8 application were inspected, with no problems observed. Details of the sites <br />included are given in Table 1. <br />The only surface instability observed was a small surface slide on a steep slope across the road between <br />the GVB-LW9-05 pad and the GVB-LW15-01a, -01B and -02 pad, however the slide had started well above the <br />road and did not appear to have been caused by any mine related disturbance. Mr. Smith broadcast seed over the <br />slide area. <br />In general, the vegetation on the reclaimed areas showed excellent cover, production and diversity. <br />Minimal noxious weeds were observed, and those that were present were not in dense patches and had no chance <br />to become a problem given the well established perennial grasses, forbs and small shrubs. The reclaimed pads and <br />roads provided breaks in thick oak brush over most of the area, and were clearly well traveled by wildlife. <br /> <br />DOCUMENTS RECEIVED <br />N/A <br /> <br />OTHER (SPECIFY) <br />N/A <br />ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS/COMPLIANCE <br />No enforcement actions were initiated as a result of this inspection, nor are any pending.