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(Pace s] MINE ID N OR PROSPF.CI'Hf6 ID A 1F81-16 INSPECT70N DATE 08.21-95 HiSPECTOR'S HJITIAIS SSS OBSERVATIONS This was a partial Inspectlon of the Neglected MI¢a conducted at the regneat of the operator to review any items that may need to be addressed 1¢ the operators apptlcatlon for cs¢verslo¢ of the operatlon ham a 110D to a regular 110 operatlon. The appilcatls¢ Is to be submitted to the Division 1¢ the ¢ear tumre. Upon arrival at the alto It was evident Olat several areas on a¢d oft ells had been rece¢Oy reclaimed. The operator 1¢dlcated that these areas were graded seeded a¢d mulched. These areas I¢clude live shafts, two unused talDngs pods, We old pre-law mill talDngs area and the waste rock dump surrouuding the mal¢ Neglected Ml¢e shaft Two of the back011ad mf¢e shafts are located a few hundred yards northwest of the permit area A third la located Just north of the Neglected shah a¢d lust sutalde the permit area The older two shafts aze the uppermost shaft and the third shaft down the gulch as shown o¢ the permit map. The two talDngs pods reclaimed were We Dned taltl¢ga panda that were 1¢te¢ded for talDngs disposal ham the odglual vat leach aperatlo¢. These two po¢da were located oft of the approved permit area by We previous operator and were apparently never used. The waste rock was dozed off the waste rack dump and placed In a stockpile for storage unOl It can be precesaed through the new operator's proposed Doatatlan mIII. A clean water dlverslo¢ was estabDahed at the upper e¢d of We disturbance caused by the waste rock cleanup. The e¢tlre area prevleusly oceupfed by the dump was the¢ revegetated as per the approved mlWng pla¢. The upper shaft wlOiln the permit area, the Neglected shaft, Dea 1n the center of this waste rock area The operator Indicated chat this shaft was totally backDDed with earth before We area was reclaimed. The shaft was collapsed and almost completely backDHed whe¢ observed last year. The shag located I¢ the Gaines Gulch dral¢age between the old mill talDngs area a¢d the heap leach pad was also totally backDlled, tapaolied seeded and mulched. This shaft was not observed last year, so It's statue at Olat tlme Is uuk¢awn. The old pre-law m1D talOnge were originally elated to be run through the cyanide leach operatlon a¢d disposed of In Ule Dned talDngs ponds. The talDnge had been removed and the area regraded seeded and mulched per the approved permit However, upon Inquiry as to the ¢ew locatle¢ of the old mID talRugs the opantor ludlcated that Ihey had been used to backllR three ml¢e shafts that were located outside the parmll bou¢darp. The effort was ea¢ducted m clean up the old mill talD¢gs and to backDll We old open shafts far safety reaso¢s. The operator Indicated that Oils operatlon was not conducted sa part of the permitted miring process, but as a cleanup operatlon for the Iandew¢er. The operator did 1¢dlcate that the shafts were dry, but this tact Is unaubatantlated. It Ia possible that these talDnge could affect groundwater quality In the area because the exlstlng adlt t¢ the center of Ore permit area does dral¢ ml¢e water as does We pre-law lower adlt that is collapsed. The three ehafls Wat are outside the permit boundary were not observed last year, so their status at that tlme la unknown. This report will he copied to the Colorado Depar[me¢t of HealOl for their considentlan of the ta1D¢gs deposltlon 1¢ the mine shafts. Be aware that this placement of the old ta1D¢gs In shafts located upgradlent from the mine may affect Ore water quality of your samples at the two drald¢g edits. Mine Developement, Inc. may wish to sample these old talDnge f¢ order to characterize them tar Nture 1¢tormatlo¢. The operator Is In the process of having the exlatl¢g heap leach pad, which has been Inactlve since 1985, sampled m determl¢e the cyande levels remaining in IL The pad hoe been open to the elements since Its creatlon, but the degree of degradatlon of the cyaWde Is unknown. The operator wishes to characterize the heap matertal to faclDlate their ro¢veralon of the opentlo¢ ham a Designated Mining Operatle¢ to a regular mlNng opentlo¢. There Is a sedlmeut pond co¢etrocted ad]ace¢t to 6atuea Gulch lust below the waste rock stockpile that was created durl¢g the cleanup of the old waste rock dump. This pond la sot a permitted part of the reclamatlon permit for tills operatlon. MI¢e Development, mc. wIR need to submit a techWcal revision to the permit to 1¢corporate the po¢d, and Its reclamatle¢ luto the permit A tepsol0avarburde¢ stockpile, leftover ham the cleanup operatlon of the waste rock damp area has bees placed above Ne clean water dlveralon eonstrocted at the upper cud of tlile area The pile has bees reseeded and mulched. 1f the vegetation does ¢ot eatab0eh a¢ this stockpile by next eprl¢g, rhea the pile should be bermed to control erosion lose of the soil sad to protect the clean water diverelou from sedlme¢t eroded ham the pile. A more practlcal solutluoa would be to move Oils pile below We clea¢ water dlverolo¢, to We ebetlag topsoil stockpile. The permit bsu¢daty for the proposed revised permit boundary was rough surveyed and marked wlOt surveyaYs tape a¢d a mine Ide¢tlDcatlo¢ alga has bees 1¢stalled at the gate o¢ the access road. Ouce the Dlvlslo¢'e deelslo¢ on the proposed revision to the permit la rendered, the resultlng permit boundary should be mazked In a moro permanent manner such as tease poets, blaze marks o¢ trees, etc_ The operator has submitted evidence that a amrmwater permit hoe beau applied [or, ae wsa Doted as a problem In last yeaz's Inspeetlo¢ report The stockpile of rock near the adlt In the center of the permit azea has bee¢ moved oat of 6ainas Gulch and the dral¢age has beau recut, revegetated sad mulched