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<br />(Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID #: M-1997-(lRt <br />INSPECTION DATE: 7/n/nt <br /> <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: I['S <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This inspection was conducted in order to check compliance of the operation with the requirements of the Act, Rules, and the <br />conditions of [he permit. The operator, Pueblo County, was represented during the inspection by Pa[ Coffee and Andrew <br />Ruybal. <br />The site was inactive at the time of the operation; although it had apparently furnished the material stockpiled in the <br />contiguous Pope Pit (Permit M-1985-208). This material was being loaded, at the time of the inspection, for use in a road <br />repair job, a few miles from the pits. Operations in the Everhart Pit are being combined with those in the Pope Pit. Because the <br />Pope Pit is essentially mined out, it is serving the combined operation as a stockpile and processing area. <br />An acceptable sign for the operation had been posted. During the course of the inspection, the county representatives <br />identified enough boundary and buffer zone markers to demonstrate that disturbance in the pit was confined to the approved <br />area. <br />(THIS IS REPEATED FROM THE 7/16/01 REPORT OF THE DIVISION'S INSPECTION OF THE ADJACENT POPE PIT.) There is <br />a sizable topsoil stockpile located along the northeastern boundary of the Pope Pit extending into the Everhart Pit. The <br />stockpile appears to have been seeded and to be stable. There is, however, a vertical high wall, estimated as possibly 20 feet <br />high and some tens of feet long, immediately west of and below this stockpile. Some boulder sized material, reportedly <br />ur5usable in the County's operation, was piled against the high wall to be used in the back filling and reduction of the high <br />wall to the 3:1 slope required by the reclamation plan. Under these circumstances, it would be difficult to reduce the high <br />wall by any other means, e.g. by pushing it down from above, since to do so would require the movement of portions or all of <br />the topsoil stockpile. Relocation of top soil stockpiles require Board or Office approval and, in most cases, would be granted <br />by way of a technical revision to the permit. (See Rule 3.1.9(4).) Consequently, it would appear to be to the County's benefit to <br />leave more room between its future high walls and topsoil stockpiles so as to retain some alternative to backfilling in order to <br />reduce its high walls. <br />During the course of the inspection of the Pope and Everhart pits, County representatives indicated their belief that the two pits <br />which are contiguous and whose operations are being combined, had been placed under one 112 permit. The Division <br />records do not reflect this. If the County does wish this to be done, an amendment to the permit for the Everhart Pit would be <br />required in order to add the additional affected area of the Pope Pit or the conversion of the Pope Pit permit to a 112 would be <br />necessary in order to add the affected area associated with the Everhart Pit. <br />No compliance problems were identified for the Everhart Pit as a result of this inspection. <br />I & E Contact Address <br />NAME: Ms. Pat Coffee <br />OPERATOR: Pueblo Counri <br />STREET: 33601 United Ave. <br />CITY/STATE2IP: Puehlo. CO 81001 <br />cc: ^ CE <br />^ BL <br />^ FS <br />^ HW <br />^ HMWMD (CH) <br />^ SE <br />^ WQCD (CH) <br />^ OTHER <br />