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• (Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-79-221 <br />INSPECTION DATE_April 28, 1999 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS TAS <br />1. A site inspection was made of the Ute Clay Mine as a follow-up to an earlier inspection <br />conducted by the Division on April 20, 1999 in response to a written complain received from <br />Ms. Elfreda Lou Mortensen on March 22, 1999. The purpose of the inspection was to measure <br />areas, volumes, and other measurements necessary for evaluation of a current reclamation <br />cost. Measurements were collected with a measuring tape, measuring wheel, and Trimble <br />Geoexplorer II GPS unit. <br />2. Based on the current disturbance at the site, the Division has calculated a total <br />reclamation cost of $37,000. Please see attached reclamation cost. The operator has posted <br />a financial warranty of $39,000 in the form of a Corporate Surety. Therefore, the existing <br />financial warranty is more than adequate to reclaim the current disturbance according to the <br />requirements of the reclamation plan. This concern originally noted in Ms. Mortensen's <br />March 22, 1999 letter is now resolved. (If significant additional disturbance is planned for <br />the clay mine, then the adequacy of the financial warranty should be reevaluated). <br />3. The Ute Clay Mine is permitted for 141.76 acres. The designated post-mining land use is <br />rangeland. The reclamation plan and map specifies that pit walls will be backfilled and <br />resloped where necessary in order to establish slopes of 3:1 or less. Grading will be done <br />to create a post-mining topography that blends in with the surrounding topography (gently <br />rolling hills). The operator will practice contemporaneous reclamation as much as practical. <br />Finally, no more than 2 stages will be disturbed at any one time. The $39,000 financial <br />warranty was submitted to cover a "worst case" disturbance of 25.9 acres in Phases IV & V. <br />4. The mining plan specifies mining in eight (B) different stages. The current disturbance <br />occurs within Stages O & I. Future pit disturbance is anticipated for Stages III & IV to the <br />west. <br />5. Measurements used in calculating a current reclamation cost are as follows: <br />700 linear feet of highwall @ 0.25:1; 66~ at 30' high, 15~ at 15' high <br />14.7 acres of major and minor pit disturbance <br />4.65 acres of "clay" base area to be covered w/ at least 12" TS/OB <br />10.D5 acres of minor pit disturbance requiring finish grading <br />1.62 acres of access road disturbance (30' x 2354') <br />0.5 acres of •'pre-law" overburden piles to the east to be used in pit backfilling <br />16.82 acres of total disturbance (affected land) <br />Topsoilf Overburden Stockpile 1 165' x 150' x 5' <br />Topsoil/Overburden Stockpile 2 480' x 48' x 4' <br />Topsoil/Overburden Stockpile 3 4.65 acres x 4' <br />Topsoil/Overburden Stockpile 4 105' x 15' x 3' <br />