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• (Page 21 MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-94-097 INSPECTION DATE 02/25/97 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO OBSERVATIONS This inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of 112 permits. The operator was contacted about the inspection, and a time was arranged to meet. The operator met this inspector at the office, then accompanied the inspector to the site for the inspection. The permit area consists of about 40 acres of original permit area, plus about 62 recently added acres. The site was inspected in June 1996 for the 112 amendment pre-operation inspection. The site has not changed significantly since then. There is disturbance only in the northeast part of the original 40 acres. The crusher once present on the west side of the pit is now gone. Stockpiled material of various types is present on the unmined areas immediately west and south of the pit; a truck and loader were actively removing some of the material during the inspection. The remaining undisturbed portion of the original 40 acres is still being farmed. Topsoil and subsoil are stockpiled where they were observed at the last inspection, which is just east of the irrigation water drainage ditch and freshwater pond. It is not vegetated (it has not been there a year yet) but appears stable. The importance of topsoil protection, and various strategies, was discussed. The pit is somewhat deeper lover 20 feet deep) and will be deepened another 10 feet more after the pit acreage grows. As it is now, the pit floor is very small and could not accomodate more depth. There is no groundwater on this mesa to encounter. The east wall has been graded to between 2:1 and 3:1. It is not at the final gradient and has not been topsoiled, but a large part of the earthmoving is complete. The south and west sides of the pit are benched for temporary stability. The pit will grow in these directions, so the benches will remain. The north end of the east side of the original 40 acres abuts another permit area (Base Products Pit 1 , M-94-0531. The south end of that east side does not abut that other permit because of a 4.3-acre parcel of unpermitted land between the two permits. The adjoining permittee may eventually wish to permit the 4.3 acres. Whether it becomes permitted or not, wherever the two permits touch the two pit floor may connect with each other without a remaining ridge between them, if the two permittees can agree to coordinate their mining. Obviously, wherever the limit of excavation is reached, proper slope grading will have to be performed. The sediment pond was observed in the northeast corner of the permit area, just outside of the pit itself. The freeboard is no more than 4 or 5 feet, and the size seems sufficient far this pit. There is no evidence of any water ever being impounded here. The pit floor acts as a pond, and it appears that some water actually was impounded in the pit itself, but apparently percolated in before reaching the depth needed to flow to the pond. Once the pit is expanded, its floor will be as deep as the sediment pond and will probably become continuous with the pond too. This will increase its actual capacity at the same time that increased capacity is needed anyway. On the other part of the disturbed area, where processing and stockpiling occur, runoff is directed into the pit or into the freshwater pond. The freshwater pond contains water presently, and has a freeboard of 1 0 feet or more. All runoff and/or sediment seems to be fully controlled on the site. The bond for this site was calculated in 1996, and was based on there being a maximum of 20 acres of disturbance. Current site disturbance has not reached that level ye[, and the bond is still deemed adequate, without another calculation to be performed. There were no other items noted and no problems observed. This is a clean and orderly operation. I & E Contact Address cc: Steve Shuey, DMG ^ CE NAME Michael Ripp ^ BL OPERATOR Delta Sand and Gravel ^ FS STREET P.O. Box 103 ^ HW CITY/STATE/ZIP Delta CO 81416 ^ HMWMD (CHI ^ SE ^ WOCD (CHI ^ OTHER