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(Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-1977-170 <br />INSPECTION DATE 9/28/04 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS ESC <br />OBSSRVATIONS <br />This was an inspection of the Butala Gravel Pit conducted by Erica Crosby and Carl Mount of <br />the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology. Frank Butala and Tom Eve representing Butala <br />Construction Co. were present during the inspection. The site is located 1.5 miles north <br />west of Salida in Chaffee County, Colorado. 'Ihe site is located within an area that is zoned <br />industrial. <br />The Butala Gravel Pit is a 112 sand and gravel operation, permitted for 84 acres. The permit <br />was issued on October 1, 1978. In 1998 the permit was expanded from 22 acres to 84 acres. <br />Mining will occur in a number of phases, each approximately 12 acres in size. The Division <br />holds a reclamation bond in the amount of $90,500.00. The approved postmining land use is <br />industrial. <br />A mine identification sign and boundary markers were observed. Topsoil and overburden piles <br />were noted along the perimeter of the permit area. The site is active in Phase 1 located in <br />the northwest corner of the permit area. Mining will progress from west to east. The <br />excavated material is hauled to the wash plant in the central permit area where it is washed <br />and stockpiled before it is transported to batch plants. In the mine plan, the operator <br />states thaC slopes will be mined to 2h:ly. It was noted during the inspection that pit <br />slopes are near vertical. The operator will need to revise the mining and reclamation plan <br />if slopes are to be mined steeper than 2h:ly. Please see page 3 for compliance due dates. <br />A small spring was noted on the north end of the Phase I area. The source of the water is an <br />old irrigation pipe that has been cut. Some cif the water runs through the cut pipe into the <br />pit. The spring runs through the irrigation season. <br />The wash ponds, wash plant and stockpiling area are located adjacent to the Arkansas River. <br />The wash plant is a portable unit, and the fines settle through a series of ponds. The east <br />wash pond facility is not connected to the other wash ponds on site. The construction of <br />this pond was addressed in Technical Revision 01 (TR-O1). The slopes of the wash pond are <br />1~h:ly measured with an abney level. The ponds will ultimately be reclaimed to 3h:ly and <br />replaced with topsoil. <br />The center of the mine contains the creosol area. No mining is to take place in this area, <br />only the stockpiling of material. The area is 6.6 acres in size. The EPA removed the upper <br />3-4' of material €rom this area and stockpiled and capped the material on site. Markers <br />delineate this area. <br />The Division inspected the fuel storage area. Tanks were mostly portable units, however, the <br />tanks that are not portable will need to be bermed to contain any spills. In addition, areas <br />where fuel spills were noted will need to be cleaned up in accordance with the approved plan. <br />See page 3 for compliance due dates. <br />I & B Contact Address <br /> ~ CE <br />NAME Frank Butala ~ BL <br />OPERATOR Butala Construction Co. ~ FS <br />STREET P.O. Box 907 ~ HW <br />CITY/STATE/ZIP Salida, CO 81201 ~ HMWMD (CH) <br /> ~ SE <br /> ~ WQCD (CH) <br />Cc: Carl Mount; DMG (via e-mail) <br />