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(Page 2) <br />MINE H) N OR PROSPECTDJG m M 11-5!-041 <br />INSPECTION DATE 5-3195 aISPECTOR'S UIITIAIS SSS <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This was a complete lospectlon of the Walker PI[ located approximately flue miles north of Durango on Couo[y Road 250. The 2 acre site is a sand <br />bar oo the Inside of a curve In Ute Animas River. The operatloo Is permitted to mine the sand bar down to water level. The sand Is [o be settled <br />out oP water and the water discharged to a setWog good before final discharge back to the river. <br />The operator lodlcaled that approximately 200gpm Is pumped from river during washing operatlons while the permit states 200gph. However, he <br />Indicated that washing of sand had Dot taken place for over ten years. Addltlooally, the operator Indicated that the sediment pond was filled In by <br />[he river several years ago. <br />The permit does not Indicate that the operator holds water rights tar the washlog operatloo, nor does ft mentlon the Dossesslon of an NPDES permit <br />tar the setWng pond discharge back to the river. It Sandco wishes to retalo the washing operatloo In the Walker Plt perm![, the following steps will <br />Deed to be taken: <br />(1) Contact Ute State Engineer's Office concemlog water rights for the operatloo. Provide documestaUon, m Dlvlslou of <br />Mluerals and 6eolagy (DM6~ that Oils contact was made. <br />(2) Contact the Colorado Department oP Hea1W concerning acqulslUoo of an NPDFS permit for the seWing poud discharge. <br />Documentatloo of Uila contact should also be aubmltted to DMG. <br />(3) Recooatruct Ute settling pond system Utal was filled la 6y Ute river sa that It le adequate to meet the standards of <br />the NPDES permit <br />(9) Submit the above mentloned ltema to DMG to the form of a techWCal revlsfoo to Permit No. M~7~094 <br />The other option would be for Sandco to aubmlt a technical revlsloo to remove the washing operation sod settling pouch hom the permit Io thla <br />case, the remalnlog poud and ditch would be backfllled thereby reducing We eperatlon to a truck and loader operatloo. <br />Sandco must per[orm one at the two oDUons meotloned above. <br />Please be aware, Rule 3.1.12 of We Mineral Rules and Regulatloos requires that: <br />(1) The operamr shall post a slgo at the entrance at the mlae site which shall be clearly visible from the access road <br />sad specify the (ollowlog: <br />(a) The Dame of the operator, <br />(b) M lodicatlon that a reclamatloo perm![ for the <br />operatloo has 6eea lasued 6y the Colorado Mined land <br />Reclamation Baazd, aad <br />(c) Tha Perml[ Number. <br />(2) The bouodarles of the affeeted azea will be marked by monuments or other markers that are clearly vlslble and <br />adequate to delineate such bouodarles. <br />The sign and markers were no[ a6served durlog the Inspectlon and should be Installed as Indicated above. <br />In 1987, the U.S. coogresa amended the Cleau Water Act to expressly loclude storm water discharges hom loduafrlal sues as requlring Clean Water <br />Act comrols. In 1990, EPA Issued regulatlooa that require specific IodusWal actlvlUes [o abtalo permits to order to discharge storm water hom their <br />facllitles. Actlve and Inactive mloing operatlooa where storm water comes Iota contact with overburden, raw material, In[ermedlate products, <br />byproducts, finished products or waste products located at the mining site aze speclflcally locluded. The deadline m apply for a storm water perm![ <br />was October 1,1992. If a smrm water permit [or this mine has no[ yet 6eea abtalned, Ure operator must apply for such a permll, as soon as possible, <br />to Colorado Department of HealUt, WQC6P~B2, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, Colorado 802221530. If any storm water control sWCmres <br />are required to be constructed at the mloe as a result of the storm water permlWng process, a revtslon must then 6e submitted to this Dlvlslou to <br />include the operatloual sad reclamatlon aspects of such structures In the Reclamation PermlL <br />