INSPEC31429

• Permit No: M1987143
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Name: MINERALS PROGRAM INSPECTION REPORT
• Inspection Date: 12/5/1995
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

(Page 2)
MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-87-143
INSPECTION DATE 12/05/95 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO
OBSERVATIONS
This inspection was performed by the Division ae part of its monitoring of 110 permits, and
for the purpose of assessing the amount of reclamation work performed for the calculation of
the reclamation costa. The operator was contacted about the inspection, but was not able to
be present for it. There was almost 6 inches of new snow cover, which partially prevented
this inspector from observing everything he wanted to.
Several items were specifically inspected this time, which had been deemed important during
the last inspection (dated 8/21/95), in the reclamation coat total. These included the piles
of pipe and track pieces, the concrete building footings, a fuel tank, plus various odd parts
of equipment and debris, previously present on the disturbed areas of the benches. Ae far
ae was evident, all loose pipe and track has been removed. Most if not all of the odd pieces
and debris have been removed. The concrete footings were broken and moved to the shoulder
of the upper bench, possibly to be buried in the backfilling/shaping of the bench elopes.
The fuel tank was moved from the upper bench to the lower bench. it ie to be removed from
the Bite, and the bond must cover that removal.
There were numerous pieces of portable mining equipment present during the previous
inspection, of which all except four ore care have been removed. Being portable, these will
not affect the bond amount.
This site has a historic discharge from the portal. (This discharge was sampled by the
Division on 6/17/94, and by the operator on 10/10/94. The results showed that the water met
stream standards. The operator asked CDPHE/WQCD for a decision about whether a discharge
permit was needed. The decision letter, dated 1/18/95, states that a permit will not be
needed.) The old wooden discharge conveyance structure was deteriorated and the routing
allowed the water to contact and flow through old waste rock of indeterminate nature. That
was part of the Division's decision to consider the site for DMO statue. To eliminate the
uncontrolled discharge aspect, the operator and this inspector discussed a new conveyance
structure. It had been installed and was observed at this inspection. It is a continuous
piece of flexible, corrugated 8-inch polyethylene pipe, shallowly buried from inside the
portal door to a point down near the creek, all within the permit area. It appears that some
remedial rebedding may be necessary in 1996, due to the settling of some of the material,
plus the incomplete coverage. An apron or other structure to control the flow or reduce the
force of the discharge as it leaves the pipe may also be required. The route of the pipe ae
it drops down from the upper bench toward the creek appears to be along an old, steep cat
track. This route is also along the natural drainage for that portion of the hillside.
Loosening and disturbing this area may contribute to future sedimentation, since it is steep,
it receives runoff, it ie not well compacted, and it it not armored by vegetation or rip-rap.
When the site is accessible in the spring 1996, this should be addressed by the operator.
At this time it is not eroding, and ie not regarded ae a problem. Due to the discharge and
the new pipe structure, a copy of this report ie being sent to the Water Quality Control
Division.
(For the operator's information, the door to the metal building which houses the gen set was
ajar, possibly due to the weight of the snow which accumulated at the doorway.)
The permit area also contains a historic mill structure, which has not been disturbed by the
operator. Directly below the mill, and partially in the creek, is a jumble of many old
timbers from the mill. Evidence of recent disturbance, ie., efforts to pile the timbers, was
observed. Though this portion of the channel is not where the live-flowing part of the water
ie, the operator should avoid or take extreme care in disturbing the channel sediments here.
It is known that past gold extraction involved mercury, among other things, and remnant
pockets of it may still be present.
Also below the mill and adjacent to the creek are the remains of the old boiler house. Lying
in the creek are many scattered timbers, bricks, and the boiler itself. These do not appear
to have been disturbed in many years. Included in this debris are approximately 12 old steel
drums, all of which are partially in the water and creek sediments. Some are upright and
some are tipped. The upper visible portions of these drums look intact, though the submerged
bases may be weakened or compromised. There is no visible sheen on the water or sediments.
The bung cape of several of the drums are gone. This inspector probed with twigs into all