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<br />• (Page 21 <br />L~ <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-99-038 <br />INSPECTION DATE 3-22-99 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS SSS <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This was an inspection of a possible illegal gravel mining operation that the Division recently became aware of. The site <br />is located at 9134 County Road 100 in La Plata County, near the town of Marvel. The site is posted with a sign that reads <br />"Rowe Gravel". Rowe Gravel is also advertised in the telephone book sand and gravel listings. The inspector attempted <br />to contact the operator twice, on the day of the inspection. A message was left with the person who answered the phone <br />call, but the operator did not return the call. <br />The site access road was not gated, and the inspector was able to drive in to the mine site. The access road is in good <br />repair and accesses several trailer house and storage shed structures adjacent to the mine site. There are several salvage <br />vehicles parked on property adjacent to the mining operation. Several lath stakes with old surveyor tape on them were <br />noted around the mining area. <br />Wire fences were noted around the land parcel. The eastern fence is near rthe highwall crest on the east side of the pit. <br />The east fence may be close enough to the highwall that reduction of the highwall slope will have to be done by backfilling <br />rather than cut-and-fill methods. <br />The excavation area begins with a cut into a southeast facing hill slope and proceeds into the hill, resulting in a pit with <br />a highwall approximately 20 feet high. The pit averages 300 feet long and 145 feet wide, covering approximately 1 acre. <br />The end of the pit that opens to Church Hollow has a minimal berm that directs runoff away from a pond in the bottom <br />of the hollow that appears to belong to the neighboring property to the east. The berm is only large enough to contain a <br />very small precipitation event. There are several drums of fluid stored near the opening to the pit. The drums appear to <br />contain hydraulic fluid as indicated by oil stained ground around these drums. No evidence of off-site transport of these <br />hazardous materials was observed. The drums are not stored in a spoil) containment structure. An elevated fuel tank <br />labeled with a diesel fuel sticker and an elevated drum (assumed to be hydraulic fluid) are located in the center area of the <br />pit. This tank and drum also do not have proper spill containment. Some oxy-acetylene tanks and what appears to be a <br />pump or generator are located on the ground next to the diesel tank. <br />The processing and stockpile area are located on the flat ground above, and to the west of the pit. This area is <br />approximately 350 feet wide and 500 feet long, covering approximately 4 acres. There are two elevated fuel tanks, and <br />a couple of lead-acid batteries located on the crest of Church Hollow on the east side of the processing/stockpile area, just <br />south of the pit entrance. No discharges from these items were noted though no spill containment was in place for the <br />tanks. A converyor unit is also stored at the site. There are several stockpiles of excavated material on site, some of <br />which appears to have been processed through a crusher. A small stockpile of topsoil is located on site but would be <br />inadequate to reclaim the current disturbance on site. It appears that the processing/stockpile area was not stripped of <br />topsoil prior to placement of the stockpiles. Topsoil stripping appears to be occurring in advance of the pit excavation. <br />Vegetation on adjacent non-mined land is primarily a dryland pasture dominated by cheatgrass. It appears that the site was <br />previously disturbed by agricultural and/or ranching operations and was subsequently left to invasion buy weedy species. <br />Responses to this inspection report should be sent to: <br />Division of Minerals and Geology, 484 Turner Drive, Building F, Suite 101, Durango, Colorado 81301, Attn: Steve Shuey. <br />Steve Shuey can also be contacted at phone no. 970-247-5062. <br />I & E Contact Address <br />NAME Brad Rowe <br />OPERATOR Rowe Gravel <br />STREET 9134 C. R. 100 <br />CITY/STATE/ZIP Hesperus. CO 81326 <br />cc: Tom Gillis, DMG <br />^ CE <br />^ BL <br />^ FS <br />^ HW <br />^ HMWMD (CHI <br />^ SE <br />^ WOCD ICH1 <br />^ OTHER <br />