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(Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-80-244 <br />INSPECTION DATE 2/3/95 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS JAP <br />The Cresson Project Phase 1 heap leach pad, crusher, processing plant and the proposed <br />area of the mine pit were inspected during this two day inspection. Particular attention <br />was focused upon the Leak Collection and Leak Detection monitoring facilities. Jim <br />Pendleton ~ John Hardaway preceded the field inspection with an hour long discussion of <br />the leak collection, leak detection and piezometer monitoring facilities. We also <br />discussed CC6VG's monitoring frequencies, analytical sampling requirements, and reporting <br />procedures. <br />We first inspected the area of the saturated pool immediately adjacent to the toe dam. <br />Ore was first placed to allow access to the foundation area for the three pump cans. <br />Three 20' thick lifts of ore have been placed, bringing a portion of the sump area to <br />approximately 10' below the toe dam crest. The pumps have been placed in the pump cans <br />and the pregnant solution circulation system has been largely installed. Two <br />approximately 100' x 300' grids of solution dripper piping have been installed above the <br />ore. Solution has been transported from Ponde 5 and SA and placed on the ore. Sodium <br />Cyanide has been added temporarily to the solution at the site of the ore. <br />Next we inspected the five leak detection sumps. Sump No. 1, the most northern of the <br />sumps, had accumulated approximately 1 milliliter of fluid. The influent collection area <br />is completely above the area currently exposed to processing solution. Frost was evident <br />on the walls of the sump and the exposed length of pipe. I suspect the small amount of <br />fluid is the result of melting frost, rather than in inflow from the leak detection pipe. <br />The other four leak detection sumps evidenced some frost but had accumulated no fluid in <br />their collection sumps. No leakage has been detected to date. <br />we next inspected the leak collection effluent pipelines. Two submersible pumps are <br />installed through 6 inch plastic pipe from the southern rim of the heap leach pad. These <br />pumps have been encountering considerable difficulty in operation. Mr. Hardaway reports <br />that they have been removed seven times for modifications. He believes they will now be <br />fully operational. To date the pumps have been activated four times with a total of 7700 <br />gallons of effluent being returned to the heap fluid circuit. Mr. Hardaway reports that <br />samples are collected each time the pumps are activated, and submitted for Cyanide <br />analysis. To date only one analytical set of results, for a sample collected two days <br />after fluid from ponds 5 and SA was first applied to the ore. Mr. Hardaway postulates <br />that this initial fluid is largely remnant from precipitation which fell during <br />construction when the leak collection layer was open to the environment. <br />The permit does require CC6VG to promptly report all monitoring results from the leak <br />detection and leak collection system. While the permit does not specify this concern, I <br />believe it would be desirable for C~VG to complete an audit analysis of the fluid <br />collected by the leak collection system. As I envision this analysis, it would include <br />mass balance analysis of collected fluids chemistry versus the chemistry of the processing <br />fluid. This should allow the determination of probable dilution factors and source <br />leakance. <br />Next we inspected the location of the piezometer readout terminals for the five <br />piezometers buried in the liner cover material above the saturated pool elevation. Data <br />collected to date verifies that all piezometers are working. Mr. Hardaway observed that <br />the barometric corrections had not been completed at this time. However, the data <br />necessary to complete the corrections had been collected, but the algorithm for the <br />correction had not yet been completed. John intends to complete the correction algorithm <br />by the end of February. <br />We inspected the underdrain discharge into the toe dam pond. No effluent was evident at <br />the time of our observation. Mr. Hardaway reports that the sump has not required pumping <br />for the last month. <br />The upland diversion system is in place and functional. The recently drilled monitoring <br />well, #Mw-9, continues to be dry. CC&VG will continue to probe the well weekly. Mr. <br />Hardaway anticipates that the well may make water in the spring, as was the case in well <br />#MW-404,~located in the same "structure" to the south of well #MW-9. <br />