INSPEC19688

• Permit No: C1981008
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: OSM INSPECTION REPORT
• Inspection Date: 8/13/1992
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

MEIR NARRATIVE 2
needed is contracted out. The new operator reclaimed the existing post-law
pit on the mine, the Rice property, that was opened by the previous mining
company. The mine was under temporary cessation prior to this reclamation.
The Rice tract has been graded and planted with temporary cover. Permanent
cover will be planted during the fall planting season. The new operator
has not submitted a phase one bond release request for this area.
There are several springs above the north end of the reclaimed area that
have formed a wetland near the regraded slopes. I asked Mr. Wade if they
were being monitored. He said that they will be but the new company has
not monitored them as of yet because the approved scheduled only requires
that to be done on a bi-annual basis. One comment that should be addressed
that was not at the time of the inspection: this wetland can not be allowed
to form on reclaimed slopes. If the area extends on to those slopes with
out regulatory approval, it is a violation. This should be addressed
during the grading release for the area.
The drainage for the remainder of the reclaimed slopes in this area is
channeled under County Road ^AA" through a series of culverts. The culverts
have been turned over to the county. All were inspected to see if they
were clear. Of those, the comment was made that the downstream side of the
24 inch culvert should be cleaned out. it is starting to fill in so the
drainage below it may also have to be lowered to provide positive drainage.
In addition, there is a 12 inch culvert through the road that would seem to
be to small to remain open following bond release for the area. Mr. Ranney
said ~he would check to see if the designs for that pipe were adequate.
Sediment pond #1 had a continuous discharge from spring inflows in the
drainage above the inlet of the dam that was going out of the primary
spillway, a drop inlet with an anti-vortex device, of .66 feet. A Stevens
recorder is in place on the discharge point with a backup v-notch weir.
The paper on the recorder had been changed recently and the stilling well
below the float was clear. Field measurments of the discharge initially
showed a pH of 6.6 but we later found that the testing equipment being used
had a lox battery. That was changed with the resulting pH noted as 7.68.
Conductivity of the discharge was near 1,800 umhos.
Weed control has been implemented by the operator on 8 acres of the mine
where needed. A contractor has been hired by the operator to do most of
the work. Apparently they are trying to keep down the infestations of
Russian knapweed and musk thistle on the reclaimed area. These weeds were
noted on the perimeters surrounding some of the mine.
Sediment pond 1k6 has standing water. Water was below the spillway inlets
but there was a trickle discharge from the primary outlet. Mr. Ranney said
that he would ask the operator to repair the spillway when the water inflow
from summer irrigation is shut off.
Sediment pond ~5 was dry, inflows from the inlet and culvert were protected
and stable.
The reclaimed ridge between sediment ponds +}5 and #6 was walked. No rills
or gullies were found. Vegetation throughout the area was uniform. A
question was asked about the access road left on the south side of the
ridge top. The haul road up to the area remains at this time but the road
off to the side of the area is of no use. The comment was made that it
should be reclaimed. Another road on the north side of the area was noted
dfuring an earlier oversight inspection as having been used by the previous
operator. The comment was made at that time to have the culvert pulled out
and push down a dirt berm that was dozed across the road to stop
unauthorized access. The berm was removed and the culvert was ]tai.iwn
ripped out. Pieces of the culvert were laying in the graded area. These