INSPEC13257

• Permit No: M1980085
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: Minerals Program Inspection Report
• Inspection Date: 8/28/1998
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• (Page 2) •
MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-80-085
INSPECTION DATE 08-28-98 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS ES.C
OBSERVATIONS
This was a regular inspection of the Vagneur site conducted by Erica Crosby of the Colorado Division
of Minerals and Geology. David Tomasetti of Elam Construction was present during the inspection.
Weather conditions on site were clear and warm. Ground conditions were dry.
The Vagneur site is a 112 operation, with a permitted acreage of 105 acres. The mine is a sand and
gravel operation that contains a pit roughly 60 acres in size. Mining has proceeded north, and the
pit walls have been graded, topsoiled and seeded. Also located on site were an asphalt batch plant
and a concrete plant leased to Western Mobile. The asphalt plant receives old asphalt fragments from
off site to be recycled. Rock material from off site is also hauled in to be crushed and screened,
and the topsoil is segregated and used for reclamation. Water was noted in the pit, and was
gravitating toward the north side of the pit into a small sump. It appeared that the water was either
being used during mining operations, or discharged off site. A large evaporating pond was also noted
just north of the concrete plant. A permit sign was noted at the mine entrance. The permit boundary
markers were identified by fence lines.
There were two problems noted during the inspection that need to be corrected;
1) The permit was issued in 1980, and the files appear to be outdated. The application submitted to
the Division states, the surface area of the excavation would consume 7.6 acres. However,
since stockpiles and other operations are to take place on the remaining portion of the property, the
affected land, for purposes of this permit application, is to be the entire 104.72 acres." It was
also stated in the adequacy review letter sent by the Division that if there are plans to excavate
beyond the 7.6 acres, then a technical revision or amendment to the permit will be necessary. A
technical revision was submitted in 1992, but only addresses relocation of a road, establishment of
an employee housing area, and the designation of a 40-acre area within the permit area that would not
be disturbed by mining.
The permit approved in 1980 depicts an excavated and reclaimed area of 7.6 acres, the office area,
employee housing and a future gravel storage area. The mining and reclamation plan does not take into
account the larger pit area (nearly 60 acres in size), the concrete plant and associated pond, the
asphalt batch plant, the evaporation pond, and pit dewatering. The operator will need to file an
amendment to the permit which updates the permit with the appropriate disturbances and facilities
(batch plants and ponds) noted on site. Attached is an amendment application that must be submitted
to the Division by December 1, 1996. The Division will calculate an interim bond to ensure a
sufficient amount of money is held for the disturbance now on site.
2) As previously stated, an asphalt batch plant was noted on site. Two oil spills were noted by the
plant where the oil is loaded into the facility. The operator will need to conduct an investigation
to determine the area of possible groundwater and soil contamination. Section 34-32.5-116 (4)(h) of
the Colorado Land Reclamation Act For The Extraction of Construction Materials requires that
disturbances to the quality and quantity of the water in the surface and groundwater systems both
during and after the mining operation and during reclamation be minimized. Therefore, the operator
musb submit a plan to characterize and mitigate the release of hydrocarbons and determine if
groundwater and soils are impacted from the spills. If there are no plans to mine the contaminated
gravel, the operator will need to submit verification that either the soils are not contaminated or
that contaminated soils have been removed and properly disposed. This can be accomplished by sampling
and analyzing representative soil samples for contamination. By December 1, 1998, the operator will
need to submit a plan in the form of a technical revision or amendment to the permit that delineates
how the operator will determine if the soils are contaminated. A plan to prevent this from happening
in the future must also be included.
I & E Contact Address
^ CE
NAME Thomas A. Logue ^ BL
OPERATOR Elam Construction ^ FS
STREET 1225 South 7th Street ^ HW
CITY/STATE/ZIP Grand .Tunction. CO 81501 ^ HMWMD (CH)
cc: Carl Mount; DMG ~ SE

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