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' ~ - • (Page 3) • MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-77-493 INSPECTION DATE 9/4/97 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS ACS -- ~~'-° inspected~is~ north of `E' Dump. Grading and soil amendment addition for this slope are described in the 1994, 1995, and 1996 annual repo~tsfor the Climax Mine. During 1997, the operator has been spreading a thin layer of t`~-'soil (average 4 inches? over the regraded slopes. This topsoil was taken out of Eagle. ark Reservoir during the tailings clean-out project, so placement of topsoil on these slopes does not diminish the inventory of stockpiled soil described in the permit. 3. Robinson Lake Robinson Lake is a process water reservoir located in the upper Eagle River Drainage. Process water stored in Robinson Lake includes water decanted from Robinson and Ten Mile Tailing Ponds, as well as 1-Dam subdrain flows. Water can be pumped from Robinson Lake up to the mill water storage tanksusing the old Robinson Pump Station; water can also be pumped from Robinson Lake to either Robinson or Ten Mile Tailing Ponds using the new No. 1-Dam Seep Water Pump Station and Return Pipeline. Robinson Lake has been drawn down to an elevation approximately 25 feet below the spillway, exposing a mud flat at the, upper end of the lake (east end). Sludge removal from this area was underway at the time of this inspection. The sludge is being removed to No. 2-Dam. An area of seepage that is located below Robinson Lake, but above the concrete ground water cut-off wall, was inspected. The water source for this seep is assumed to be Robinson Lake. Climax will be submitting a proposal to collect this seepage into a pipe and route the water into the ground water collection system at the concrete cutoff wall. Climax will also submit a plan to improve the primary Robinson Lake seepage collection system that is described in the Division's 5/19/97 inspection report. This upgrade is to include enlarging the berm at the Robinson Lake seepage collection sump, and removal of the outlet culvert from this sump. Preliminary drawings for these modifications were provided to the Division during this inspection. 4. Eagle Park Reservoir Eagle Park Reservoir is located down gradient of Robinson Lake in the Eagle River drainage. Eagle Park Reservoir was used as a tailing impoundment for the disposal of tailing genexated by the beneficiation of oxide ore at the Climax Mine during the 1960s. The operator began removing tailings from Eagle Park Reservoir in 1993, and completed the tailing removal project early in 1997. No. 4-Dam was also upgraded during this time period to facilitate conversion of the reservoir to fresh water storage. 56,000 cubic yards of topsoil that was discovered underneath the tailing in the reservoir was salvaged and stockpiled for use in reclamation. The water level in the reservoir at the time of this inspection was approximately 1 foot below the outlet works. The geotechnical study of the steep portions of the reservoir banks, discussed in the Division's 5/19/97 inspection report, was underway at the time of this inspection. 5. McNulty Dum The McNulty waste rock dump is the primary disposal facility for overburden from the Climax Mine open pit. The dump is located in the Ten Mile Creek drainage basin, The toe of the McNulty waste rock dump was inspected. Water flowing out of the toe of the dump is routed under Highway 91 via an inverted siphon, and into the Climax Mine process water collection, treatment and discharge system. A small earthen stockpile was observed just northwest of the toe of the dump. This pile was slumping and eroding, and must be stabilized, particularly if the pile would be usable as a plant growth medium for reclamation.