INSPEC16498

• Permit No: M1978287
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: MINERALS PROGRAM INSPECTION REPORT
• Inspection Date: 6/6/1997
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• (Page 21 •
MINE ID +X OR PROSPECTING ID q M-78-287
INSPECTION DATE 06/06/97 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO
OBSERVATIONS
This inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of phased 1 12 operations. The operator was contacted about
the inspection and was present for it.
There is a S9,OOO.OOfinancial warranty for this operation, considered to be a "floating bond" for the reclamation of the mining-
related disturbance at the site. Though the site has not been fully disturbed, nor been very active during its life, the bond has not
been recently reviewed to assure the amount is adequate. A bond recalculation will be performed in the near future, based on
current disturbance, and the figures will be sent to the operator for review.
The required permit ID sign was posted at the entrance to the permit area (gate at NE cornerl. The permit boundary generally runs
along existing fencelines and railroad grades, which act to adequately delineate it. Much of the permit area could not be accessed
due to high water, so it was not possible to verify each corner was actually marked. Unmarked corners was a problem noted in a
1992 inspection report, and the flle contains follow up correspondence from the operator with photos of the marked corners. The
operator should verify that these still exist.
The site was not active at the time of this inspection. There have been many years of inactivity here, and the file indicates that this
operation was placed into "intermittent activity" status. Highway construction during 1 995 required use of aggregate, which was
supplied by this pit, and acted to temporarily activate it. (The operator was informed that annual removal of quantities of the
stockpiled material may be considered as "activity" within the Division's rules. If such activity can be accurately reported in the
annual reports, that may prevent the need for the operator notifying the Division as to the periods of "intermittent activity" or
"temporary cessation".1 Some of the crushed and washed material still exists in a stockpile and as a thin layer covering almost 2
acres of ground in the northeast part of the permit. It is not known whether the original topsoil was stripped from that process and
stockpile area prior to operations there.
There is a pond of several acres of surface area in the west end of the permit area, north of Tomichi Creek tits realigned locationl.
The slope gradient of the pond banks may not presently be consistent with what is required for final reclamation. Wherever the
banks will not be redis[urbed by future mining, establishing the correct slope and completing reclamation there may be advisable.
The southeast "panhandle" is still undisturbed by mining, and appears to be used as pasture. The same can be said of the SW
corner of [he permit, on the south side of the creek. On the north side of the realigned location of Tomichi Creek is a long berm
of gravel material. It seems to match the planned location of the specified containment berm for the creek realignment (from the
404 permit materials in the filet. This would seem to place that material and disturbance in a category separate from "mining
related" and therefore probably not subject to the Division's jurisdiction or bonding. Perhaps the site will be more accessible at the
time of another inspection and this can be verified.
Topsoil has been stockpiled along the north side of the pond, which is also just inside the north side fenceline. If it is to be retrieved
for use in reclamation, that may be a bit tricky due to the narrow corridor of in-permit, dry ground it's on. There is also another pile
which appeared to be topsoil, located near the southeast side of the pond. Combined, it seems that there is a sufficient amount
of topsoil to reclaim the disturbed areas.
There were no structures, or equipment, or debris observed at the site. There were no other items noted or discussed during the
inspection. There were no problems observed at [his time. If there are questions about this report, please contact this inspector
at the following address or phone:
Division of Minerals and Geology
484 Turner Dr., Bldg. F-101
Durango CO 81301
I & E Contact Address
NAME
OPERATOR
STREET
CITY/STATE/ZIP
Phone: [phone].
Ed Stewart
Valco Gunnison Concrete Div.
P.O. Box 837
Gunnison CO 81230
cc: Tom Gillis, DMG
^ CE
^ BL
^ FS
^ HW
^ HMWMD ICHj rXrYrY