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<br /> <br />Mr. Ed Brosseau - 2 - July 23, 1985 <br />INSPECTION REPORT - PAGE 2 <br />FILE N0. 81-165 <br />DATE: July 8, 1985 <br />OBSERVATIONS OF IMPORTANCE: <br />1. The inspectors were accompanied by Mr. Ed Brosseau during the <br />inspection. Mr. Lee Campbell, Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board <br />member, was also present during this inspection. This site is the <br />location of a cyanide solution leak. <br />2. A spill occurred on this site prior to June 14, 1985. Mr. Brosseau <br />observed the loss of cyanide solution from the system and contacted Mr. <br />Gilbert Rindahl on this date. Mr. Rindahl contacted the Division and <br />then inspected the site on June 17, 1985 with Mr. Jim Rouse. A report <br />was received which stated that no solutions directly reached instream <br />flows in Gaines Gulch, which is adjacent to the site. To prevent any <br />possible further spills, the operator pumped solutions into empty steel <br />process solution tanks. It is estimated that approximately 4,000 <br />gallons of solution leaked from the outslope top of the heap pit <br />embankment. <br />3. The spill site is approximately ten (10) feet by approximately one <br />hundred fifty (150) feet, more or less, in length and extends from the <br />leach pad berm toward the Gulch; but it does not reach the gulch. No <br />notable vegetation kill was observed. Any effects of this cyanide <br />solution spill would be limited to possible soil contamination and <br />vadose zone groundwater contamination. It is expected that in time, the <br />cyanide would be oxidized to a less toxic form in this particular soil. <br />4. No observable failures were noted in the pad/pit berm. The liner near <br />the discharge area in the berm could not be observed at depth as it was <br />covered with the ore pile. It was observed at the southeast corner of <br />the pit that the liner was not fully installed. It is possible that <br />solution, which could easily exceed the elevation of this unlined part <br />of the berm, piped underneath the liner and ultimately piped through the <br />berm thereby causing the leak. <br />5. Drainage control for this site is still not adequate. The upper road to <br />the agglomeration station drains toward the heap pit. The flat area at <br />the agglomerator fans water and does not divert all runoff to the main <br />upland diversion ditch. Flow routing was observable from erosion and <br />