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(Page 21 MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M- INSPECTION DATE /02 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO OBSERVATIONS This inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of Construction Materials 110 permits. The operator was contacted by fax about the inspection, but was not present at the time of the inspection. The required permit ID sign was posted at the gated entrance near the NE corner of the permit area. The area is rectangular, and the SE, SW and NW corners appeared to be marked by steel T-posts. The NE corner marker was not observed, though it may have been on or near the highway ROW fenceline. No mining activity was near the NE corner. The site consists of 9.9 acres, and appears to conform to conditions reported in the submitted annual reports. The pit is still limited to the eastern half, with topsoil stockpiling on the west, and processing appearing to have been carried out in the NW (though processing equipment has been removedl. There is a scale and scalehouse to the NE of the pit. Pit entrance ramp is in the SW corner. Significant amount of fines have been placed against the east and south walls of the pit, as part of the reclamation backfilling and sloping. This is still in progress. There is a small erosional feature on the south face due to upland runoff entering the pit and gullying the unarmored slope. Sediment and water are contained in the pit, and the reclamation of the slope is not yet in the final stages, so the gullying is not considered a problem in this report. Better upland drainage control and/or riprapping that part of the slope must be implemented, however, to prevent this from becoming worse. It is not in conformance with the final reclamation. The NW part of the permit, as mentioned above, was where processing (crushing and stockpiling) has occurred in the past. There is still a veneer of crushed gravel covering about half an acre in this location. (The gravel has an appearance strongly reminiscent of the "blue granite" mined at both the Dickerson and Aberdeen pits.) The road passing through the permit area from the NE to the SW also exhibits a soil surface. The area affected by the road, processing equipment and stockpiling of product still contains its topsoil, which was not stripped prior to carrying out these activities. Reclamation of these areas, at the very least, requires that the Crushed gravel be removed from areas where present, the soil surface ripped, then tilled and revegetated. If you wish to have processing and stockpiling activities in this location in the future, the gravel must first be removed, and the topsoil stripped also. Topsoil must be carefully salvaged and protected for future reclamation. Operating on areas where topsoil has not been stripped is not in conformance with the Rule 3 reclamation standards. Stripped topsoil must be placed on areas being reclaimed or stockpiled in a protected manner. This is not regarded as a problem in this report, but if future inspections or annual reports show that additional activity occurred on these areas, and no topsoil salvage was carried out prior, then there could be a problem to be corrected. There is a problem noted under the topic of "offsite damage" on gage one which concerns the large affected area immediately south of the permit area. This offsite area has been made bare from regular use, contains piles of various materials (including fines and highway salt-sandl, parts and debris, and both dilapidated and operable equipment. The size of the area is estimated to be about 4 acres. There has been no excavation in that area. Given the types of equipment observed there, plus the various stockpiles and that the area is adjacent to the permitted area, it is not clear if this is simply an extension of the permitted mining operation onto unpermitted land, or if it is activity and disturbance associated exclusively with a separate construction business. Besides photos I took on 4/9/98 which show no such disturbance here, the file contains no information about this area. The situation is confusing since the types of use here appear related to the pit. The corrective action to this problem is that the operator must submit a brief statement of explanation regarding activities in this adiacent unpermitted 4-acre area Items to include in the statement are: 111 whether the area is used for stockpiling pitrun waste product or processed product from the pit 121 whether processing of material from the pit occurs there• 131 whether the area has been or is planned to be excavated to provide materials for offsite sale or use; and 141 what ripes of uses the area receives and by whom This statement is to be received by this office by the date shown on the last page (please see) Note• This 110 permit is for 9 9 acres and no more If the operator's use of this 4-acre area is for activities which are involved in the operation of the 9 9-acre permitted area this item may become a possible violation and the operator may be subject to enforcement action by the Mined Land Reclamation Board. There were no additional items observed. See the last page concerning the corrective action for the problem. All responses or questions about this inspection report should be directed to'thisinspector at the Division's Durango Field Office. The address is: Division of Minerals and Geology, 701 Camino del Rio, Room 125, Durango, Colorado 81301; telephone 970/247-5193, or fax 970/247-5104.