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-. ~_ • (Page 2) • MINE ID $ OR PROSPECTING ID #` M-94-117 INSPECTION DATE 11/13/95 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS ACS OBSERVATIONS Oil e;oaked dirt had been excavated by hand from around the compressor and the vacuum pump at the back (uphill-side) of the mill building. Approximately 29 cubic feet of dirt had been ehove~lled into four 55-gallon drums and stored inside the mill building pending shipment to a landfill. The contaminated soil will be shipped once laboratory analysis has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Div ieiion. The eirea behind the tailing pond that had been disturbed during diversion ditch maintenance operzitions had been graded, but had not yet been seeded. This area needs to be seeded this fall with the approved seed mix, and when the ground is in an essentially snow-free condition. The germ below the ore yard needs to be extended, the hay bale that has been placed adjacent to the berm needs to be removed, and the berm needs to be compacted. The purpose of this berm is to contain all runoff from the ore yard so that it will evaporate or will seep into the perforated pipe installed within the berm, and flow through the pipe to the tailing pond. Installation of a hay bale in this berm allows a discharge point for ore yard runoff that is not acceptable. The e~ediment basin below and between the mill building and the tailing pond had been cleaned out +ae required. A hay bale needs to be installed in the outlet ditch for thie.eediment basin. The hay bale must be keyed into the ground such that flow in the outlet ditch will be filtered through the bale. Tail:Lng pond liner preparatory work was underway at the time of this inspection. An experienced plastic welder with In-Line Plastics, Inc. of Houston, Texas was on site. One roll of 30 mil HDPE measuring 8' x 250' had been delivered. Equipment observed on site included a Hester, and extrusion welding gun, and a disc sander for roughening the surface to b.=_ welded. The regulatory aspects of missing the established deadline of 11/1/95 for liner repairs will be discussed during the Gold Hill Mill update to the Mined Land Reclamation Board scheduled for 11/15/95. The competence of the decant system was checked at the cut-out valve located in the pipeline below the tailing dam. There was no discharge from the cut-out valve even though there ie water in the pond. This test would indicate that the decant piping is intact, however, this test ie not definitive at this time due to the potential for ice plugs in the piping. The cofferdam outby of the Hazel-A bulkhead was inspected and found to be functional at the time of this inspection. The pump-back system was found to be operating ae intended. The pump•-back tubing was adequately secured to the back of the adit. The water level behind the Haze:L-A bulkhead was 22 inches below the top of the bulkhead timbers. Water impounded behind the bulkhead must be pumped up to the pond ae soon ae the liner repairs are completed, and the bulkhead must be checked daily during the interim to assure that the water does not overtop the bulkhead. Data has been collected regarding the ground water inflows to the Hazel-A, volumes of water pumped from the Hazel-A to the tailing pond, and water levels in the pond related to rate of evaporation. This data needs to be. tabulated and provided to the Division as soon as pose:ible (no later than 11/21/95). This data must continue to be tabulated and provided to the Division for the next 2 months with due dates of 12/11/95 and 1/22/96. Based on the qualitative observations that the storage capacity ie once again nearly consumed, and the tailing pond water level is at essentially the same elevation that it has been at for the past 2 months, coupled with the relatively dry weather of the last 2 months and the fact that groundwater inflows to the Hazel-A should be at low ebb during this time of the year, it appears that the site exhibits a positive water balance, and cannot be operated ae a zero discharge facility. Once the actual water balance data has been reviewed, a recommendation will be made to the Water Quality Control Division as to whether a CDPS Permit should be appl:Led for and obtained for the Gold Hill Mill. The backfill around the adit closure culvert at the Hazel-A ie inadequate to prevent access to the ad it. The backfill must be improved to prevent access and resist slumping and erosion. To be acceptable for final closure, the backfill must be at least 15 feet thick hori.:ontally.