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..- - MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID#: M-1977-493 PAGE: 2 INSPECTION DATE: 3-29-9$-~ INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ACS f~ This inspection was conducted in conjunction with the review of two pending applications to modify the reclamation permit for the Climax Mine. Revision AR-Olis an application to delete a 9.95 acre undisturbed parcel from the area of affected land. This parcel is located below the pond shop, or about 2000 feet north of the right abutment of No. 3-Dam. Amendment AM-04 is an application to include a 2.0 acre parcel and a 7.75 acre parcel (total of 9.75 acres) into the area of affected lands. The 2.0 acre parcel is located on the hillside north of the Storke Complex and will be used during rerouting and replacement of the 5-Shaft return water pipeline; the 7.75 acres is a parcel of land in the upper part (southeast edge) of the Mayflower borrow area. The Mayflower borrow area was the source for capping material used in the reclamation of No. 5-Dam face and the Mayflower Pond tailing beach. This portion of the borrow area has been disturbed ground since the time of the Mayflower dam and beach capping project conducted from 1989 through 1991, but was inadvertently left out during the process of clarifying the areas of affected land at the Climax Mine that resulted in approval of amendment AM-03 to the reclamation permit. AM-03 was approved on June 9, 1997. Taken together, revision AA-O1 and amendment AM-04 were submitted by Climax and are being considered by the Division of Minerals and Geology under the policy adopted May 31, 1996 and most recently updated on March 28, 2000 that allows Operators to add new acreage to the area of affected land by simultaneously deleting an equal or greater acreage of undisturbed land. This policy has been adopted by the Division to allow Operators to complete this type of acreage exchange with the payment of a technical revision fee, rather than the much higher amendment fee that is usually required to add affected land acreage into a permit. The location of the 2.0 acre parcel above the Storke Yard that is to be added into the area of affected land through the approval of AM-04 was inspected. Following the approval of amendment AM-03 in 1997, the area of affected land in the Climax Mine reclamation permit included two narrow corridors of permitted affected land that connect the Storke Yard to the Climax Camp. These corridors have been used at various times for routing of roads, conveyors, water lines, and utility lines between the yard and the camp. When the 629 level pumps were relocated to a station 80 feet below the 5-Shaft collar in 1995, a new water return line was installed from the pumps and through the 5-Shaft access tunnel. The pipeline through the access tunnel was inspected during this site visit; it is all new HDPE pipe and fittings. The new sections of pipeline were then connected to the old, existing pipe leading up to Climax Camp. Climax is considering replacement of the old section of pipeline, and requires a narrow strip of affected land to be added along the edge of lower of the two existing affected land corridors to facilitate routing and installation of the new pipe. Another new corridor of affected land, which climbs the hillside from Storke Yard up toward the permitted asbestos disposal site, is required for the installation of a surge line. Both of these locations proposed for inclusion into the acreage of affected land were inspected. The sliver of land to be added adjacent to the existing water line corridor will result in a trivial amount of additional disturbance. Some removal of scrubby tree growth will occur. The new surge line installation will probably require some timbering of more substantial trees. Any usable topsoil encountered during pipeline work must be salvaged for use in reclamation. Designs for the new 5-Shaft water return line must be approved by the Division prior to commencement of the work since the water return line is considered an Environmental Protection Facility under the rules of the Mined Land Reclamation Board.