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,; • (Page 2) • MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # N-80-246 INSPECTION DATE 10/21/94 - 10/24/94' INSPECTOR'S INITIALS GSC OBSERVATIONS This inspection was a monitoring inspection conducted by Gary Curtiss on 10/22/94 through 10/24/94 with Mr. Dirk Van Zyl and Dave Dix of Golder Associates, representatives of the operator. A poet inspection meeting was held with Mr. John Hardaway and Terry Mandziak on the morning of 10/24/94. On 10/22/94, water was sampled from the 24 inch perforated underdrain outlet pipe located at the base of the south aide of the toe dam. The flow rate was not measured, however, was estimated at 15 to 25 gallons per minute. Water was collected into one liter sampling bottles which had been decontaminated and treated with preservative by Accu-labs Research, Inc. pursuant to a written sampling plan. An equipment blank and a trip blank were also obtained. The samples were collected for analyses of cyanide, dieeolved metals, hardness and total suspended solids. The unfiltered water was slightly cloudy in appearance. The samples for analysis of cyanide and dieeolved metals were filtered with a .45 micron filter in the field. All sampling equipment was decontaminated before and after the samples were obtained. Sample bottles were labeled and sealed with custody seals and delivered under chain of custody to Accu-labs on 10/24/94. A split of the preserved samples for analysis of cyanide and dieeolved metals were given to John Hardaway on 10/24/94. On the morning of 10/23/94, this inspector checked in at the guard shack at approximately 07:40 hours, drove to the Golder trailer, and met Golder personnel preparing to drive to the toe dam area. Between 07:50 and 08:00, I arrived at the western elope of the heap leach area above the pregnant pond anchor trench. At that time, a dozer was observed pushing drain cover fill onto the VLDPE liner on the northeastern elope. No Ames laborers or Golder QA/QC personnel were observed at that placement location at that time. After the dozer made two or three pushes, two personnel were observed walking to the placement location. I walked to the base of the toe dam and met Dirk Van Zyl and Chuck Culig of Golder who were conducting moisture-density taste on the compacted soil liner. I told Dirk that I could only see two personnel at the placement area of the drain cover fill. Dirk agreed and said he would talk to Ames and get the appropriate personnel up there right away. At 08:10, two additional personnel were observed arriving at the placement location, which increased the total at that location to four. See PV-1. A former sump area measuring approximately 100 feet long and 40 feet wide is located at the base of the toe dam in the pregnant pond area. Some material which had not compacted to specifications had been removed from that area the previous day. Material was removed from an approximately 740 square foot area to an average depth of two feet. Material was not removed deeper because the underdrain was at an approximate depth of three feet. Most of the soft and moist material was removed with a Bobcat 753, however, there were still some soft spots remaining. Dirk said the excavated areas were backfilled with bentonite, covered with soil liner material and compacted. When i arrived, on the morning of 10/23/94, the area had been compacted with drum rollers and Golder was in the process of conducting the moieture- density testa. The sump area looked improved from the previous day with a more uniform and even surface. Five taste were initially conducted at the corners and the center of the sump area. At my request, four additional testa were run in or near the areas which had been softest the previous day. Dirk said the optimum moisture content was approximately 128. All nine teats were within plus or minus 38 of the optimum. Since this ie acceptable pursuant to the specifications, the Gundle crews were told to continue covering the toe dam elope and the sump area with VLDPE liner. At the end of the day, approximately the eastern half of the toe dam had been covered with liner. According to Daryl Miller of Golder, the afternoon wind prevented the installation of additional liner. Chuck Culig of Golder was observed conducting moisture-density testa on the western half of the toe dam. Berhan Reffelew had pointed out the previous day an area in the southeastern elope of the leach pad where three liner folds need to be removed. The operator was already aware of this situation. The folds are located about 120 feet below the pregnant pond anchor trench and are approximately 75•, 37• and 20• long.