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(Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID #: M-1984-001 <br />INSPECTION DATE: 6/15/04 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS GRM <br />This inspection was conducted at the request of Unaweep Ventures, LLC who is finishing up the Succession of <br />Operator (SO) paper work for the take over of this permit. Mr. Eric Koehler, representative for Unaweep Ventures <br />met the inspector on site. The Surface Rock Pit is a 112c permitted site located on the north and south of State <br />Highway 141 and neaz the Divide Road in Mesa County, Colorado. For clarity, this inspection will break down the <br />site into 2 separate areas, the north, Area A and south, Area B and address items and issues discussed at each. <br />The purpose of this inspection was for Division staff to meet with the new operator to discuss reclamation efforts <br />and options concerning the Surface Rock Pit. Unaweep Ventures does not have plans to mine any additional <br />materials from the site. Plans for the material on site are to continue selling some to CDOT for road improvements <br />in the area and use the rest to augment reshaping and contouring of the site. Unaweep plans are for "reclamation <br />only" to develop the site into 1 or 2 residential like pads. <br />The North Site, Area A is where most of the original deco rock excavation took place. Ofparticulaz concern to the <br />Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG), the Colorado Depaztment of Transportation (CDOT) and Mesa County <br />was the high wall created byblasting the granite to recover sellable materials and a stockpile ofwaste rock that runs <br />from west to east along Highway 141. The DMG, CDOT and Mesa County all agreed in 2001 that the lughwall in <br />its present state was stable and did not represent a hazard. This was based on Geotechnical reports, work done on <br />site towards stabilization and inspections carved out by all parties. Geotechnical reports were inconclusive as to the <br />over all stability of the piles, which if they failed would in all probability have a negative impact on Highway 141. <br />The primary issue with the reports is that the tests did not go to bedrock or address the undisturbed stratum <br />underneath. The stockpile area, however represents an ongoing issue. Thanks to an agreement between the original <br />owner/operator, John Schmahl, CDOT began pulling loose stockpiled rock from the site for road maintenance in <br />Unaweep Canyon. This effort to date has reduced the overall length and height of some of the slopes of this waste <br />rock and reduced the concern regazding stability of the pile in those areas. This has created an option of moving <br />azound the rest of the stockpile to re-contour the site to the approved 2:1 slopes and meet the new owner /operator's <br />objective of creating a possible cabin site. Unaweep Ventures will begin to explore options to address the rock piles. <br />Once a plan is agreed upon, a Technical Revision (TR) to the Reclamation Plan must be submitted so that the final <br />reclamation matches the approved permit. Failure to obtain the TR will result in a delay for any future release <br />request until the TR is reviewed and approved. <br />The South Site, Area B is where more conventional excavation took place for landscape boulders and fill materials. <br />The approved Mining Plan calls for the excavation of materials back to the granite cliff leaving a relatively flat area <br />for reclamation. The issue here is that the original operator only completed half of the original planned excavation. <br />There is now a roughly 2 terraced bench which must be reclaimed or mined back further to reduce the overall length <br />of the exposed slope. The lower bench is approximately 2:1 or better and is not considered the issue. The upper <br />bench is roughly 15 to 20 feet in height and 1:1 or 1.5 to 1 at best. The prior operator attempted to pock the slope <br />for revegetation efforts, however this has had marginal results. The new owner and the inspector talked at length <br />about the need to bumess the slope and reduce the overall slope to 2:1. Part ofthe plans may include importation of <br />materials from Area A and the use of on-site boulders to accomplish these tasks. Here again, once a firm plan is in <br />place, the operator should submit a TR to the Reclamation Plan for review and approval prior to any commencement <br />of work on the site in this regard. <br />