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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE <br />Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the <br />inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or <br />evidence supporting the enforcement action. <br />This was a complete inspection conducted by Joe Dudash of the Colorado DRMS. No one represented the <br />operator during the field inspection but Basil Bear represented the operator during the records check. <br />East Mine <br />The entrance gate was closed and locked. The mine ID sign was up on the gate. The paved haul road was <br />partially covered in snow and there were a few small rocks on the road. However, the road was passable. The <br />access road up to the portal bench was very muddy from snowmelt. Surface disturbance markers were up. <br />The mine benches were snow covered, as were the culverts and ditches. Cut and fill slopes appeared to be stable. <br />The substation below the portal bench is being demolished. No other new reclamation was done. <br />The West Ridge waste pile was mostly covered in snow. Diversion and collection ditches had sufficient <br />capacity. There were no signs of instability with this waste pile or with the old waste pile, which was completely <br />covered in snow. <br />There was only snow in each of the four bin wall ponds and in the West Ridge waste pile pond. Discharge <br />structures were functional and the ponds' bin walls and the pond embankment were stable. <br />West Mine <br />Most of the backfilled and graded West Mine was covered in snow. The road to the site was snow covered and <br />not graded. The road up to the reclaimed West Mine fan site was not passable. The mine ID sign was up at the <br />entrance and surface disturbance markers were up around the disturbed area. There were no indications of slope <br />instability. The two sediment ponds were snow covered as well. The pond embankments were stable. <br />Run-of--Mine (ROM) Stockpile <br />This site was covered in snow. The mine ID sign was up at the entrance and markers defined the disturbed area. <br />The haul road was not graded but was passable. The sediment pond only contained snow. The pond <br />embankment appeared to be stable. Culverts and ditches were covered in snow. <br />Unit Train Loadout <br />The concrete from the three silos has been crushed and screened to gravel size and put into two piles. There is <br />very little scrap metal left on site. This demolition project has been very clean and well organized. There were <br />no negative impacts to the environment. On the east end of the loadout, however, berms should be beefed up on <br />the Farmer's Ditch side and on the Orchard side. Also, the upland diversion ditch berm that leads from the east <br />entrance to the central upland diversion channel needs to be better defined. <br />