INSPEC18189

• Permit No: M1977215
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Date: 9/8/2003
• Doc Name: Inspection Report
• From: DMG
• To: Homestake Mining Co
• Inspection Date: 8/26/2003
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

(Page 3j
MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-1977-215
INSPECTION DATE 8/26/03
INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO
The lower tailings pond and dam, as well as the access road to these features, were inspected. The road to the pond has
been improved to include better drainage controls. There were about 4 new waterbars and about 8 culverts diverting
drainage water to controlled locations on the vegetated native hillslope. Monitoring the borrow ditches should continue to
ensure that desirable revegetation becomes established and so that noxious weeds do not.
The tailings pond surface has been topsoiled and reseeded on the S and E half. An access ramp and road to the top of the
dam crossed the tailings surface near the breach (during TR-1 1 and TR-12 earthworkl. The operator has begun reclamation
on this road area on the pond, by grading and reseeding. At this time, a major constituent of the revegetation on the recent
disturbance is annual weeds: mainly Chenopodium spp. Young grasses (species not determined) and blue flax were also
observed. The N half of the pond surface was not recently resurfaced and exhibits an established, but thin, stand of
western wheatgrass, great basin wildrye, and fringed sage.
Much of the dam structure was built with a subsoil which the operator excavated and moved to the 9360 and 9700 level
dumps as a growth medium. The top of almost the entire dam was lowered by about 7 feet of height by material removal
for the reclamation. The resultant surface was graded, ripped and seeded. It exhibits some thin revegetation already, and
will be monitored in coming inspections. The final item of note in this area was the removal of the series of wooden and
concrete energy dissipation boxes along the former tailings slurry line. The boxes were demolished, footprints graded and
seeded.
This permit area consists of six separate blocks of land, not all of which adjoin each other. Areas A, B, C and D are the
areas disturbed in the past and the ones typically inspected las described in the preceding paragraphsj• Area F is located to
the W on the Rat Creek drainage, and was never disturbed. Area E is the site of a vent hole, located to the N of the rest of
the permitted area. The operator stated that the hole was closed and site reclaimed. This inspector attempted to locate
this feature. A location was found that appears to match this feature, a short distance from the forest road in the area. A
capped 8-inch iron pipe extends two feet high in this wet meadow, accessed by a 100-foot long gravelled spur to the west
of the 2-track forest road. A bare area of about 300 sq ft is near this pipe. It is not clear if this is The feature in Area E or if
it is a well belonging to a different party. (There is no record of the Division inspecting this vent hole in the past. It would
be appreciated if the operator could possibly verify whether this feature is the vent in question.)
No further items were observed or discussed 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
NAME
OPERATOR
STREET
CITY/STATE/ZIP
Alan Cox
Homestake Mining Co.
6719-D Academy Road NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
cc: Harry Posey, DMG
^ CE
^ BL
^ FS
^ HW
^ HMWMD ICHj
^ SE
^ WOCD (CH)
^ OTHER
cc: Vern Kelso, Homestake Mining Co., PO Box 40, Sargents, CO 81248
cc: Diane Gese, USFS Divide Ranger District, 11308 W Hwy 160, Del Norte, CO 81132