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(Page 2) MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-2000-059 INSPECTION DATE 9/29/05 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO OBSERVATIONS This inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of Construction Materials 110permits. The operator was contacted about the inspection. The operator's representative named on page one was present during the inspection. This is an actively operated site, but there was no onsite activity during the inspection. The site was identified by the required permit ID sign, posted at the entrance to the site. The east boundary is approximately delineated by the fenceline (a portion of the of the permit area extends outside the fenceline) and all activities are contained inside the fenced area. The ditch along the west side of the pit is outside the permit area, and off activities (mainly on the pit floor) are properly set back from the ditch. An adequate stormwater berm extends along the margins of the pit floor, keeping runoff from entering the ditch. Mining is occurring at the southern end of the permit and advancing north. Only a limited area has been mined to-date and there is not enough room yet to begin reclamation (backfilling and shaping). The pit floor is high enough that there is no exposure of groundwater. The approved plan appears to allow mining in this direction and at this depth, and no revision is needed. There are small piles of various materials on the site: fines, pitrun and gravel. Equipment noted onsite included a backhoe- loaderand old conveyor/slacker. The conveyor will be removed soon. A small crusher is planned for operation at the site in the near future. The operator should be careful with any onsite storage of fuel, tube, hydraulic fluids, etc. They all require impermeable (lined) secondary containment. It may be preferable to not store any such fluids onsite. There are currently no fluids onsite. The loader was near the topsoil stockpile, which exhibited sign of recent excavation or removal. Due to the deep soils, there is excess topsoil, and the operator has sold some of it, but he is also moving it farther north to allow expansion of the mining area. The operator is aware that all topsoil must be stripped ahead of excavation, that sufficient topsoil must be stockpiled for reclamation, and that all additional topsoil must be protected while it is stockpiled. The topsoil is adequate in amount and is not weedy. The western edge of the permit parallels the ditch (mentioned above), which is set back from the affected area of the pit. Outside this affected area is a strip of land along the ditch, also awned by this operator, which is infested with Canada thistle. The thistle is well established and is encroaching on the edge of the permit. The operator is cautioned to monitor for initial infestation and act to control it promptly. As an additional comment, this inspector urges the operator to contact the county weed control officer or the NRCS office to obtain weed control information and develop a plan. If the weeds can be kept off the permit area, no formal weed control plan will be required for inclusion in this permit. However, future inspections will check for these weeds, and if found in the permit a weed control plan wil! be required. (Please note that the operator may apply to this office, any time prior to infestation, to revise the permit to include a weed control plan. The cost for a Technical Revision is $188.) There is no debris and no contaminants on the site. The bond is $24,000, calculated to cover all reclamation costs. If the operator performs concurrent recamation (reGaiming the site as mining advances) the final reclamation costs will be lower. At this time the bond is mpre than adequate to cover all reclamation costs. No further items were observed during the inspection. Responses to this inspection report should be directed to the Division of Minerals and Geology, 701 Camino del Rio, Room 125, Durango, Colorado 81301, Attn: Bob Oswald; phone no. 970-247-5193. I & E Contact Address cc: Harry Posey, DMG ^ CE NAME Darell Geroux ^ BL OPERATOR Geroux Gravel p FS STREET 1100 CR 160 ^ HW CITY/STATE/ZIP Westcliffe. CO 81252 ^ HMWMD (CH) ^ SE