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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE <br />Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made <br />during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection <br />and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. <br />Hydrologic Balance <br />Ponds and Ditches <br />South facing slopes in the permit area were generally snow free or had only a patchy remnant snow <br />cover, but other locations were fully snow covered, with deep accumulations on north facing slopes and <br />in valleys where drifts have built up. Active work areas and facility areas were muddy, and some <br />locations, including the "D" Pit reclamation area and Sediment Ponds 9 and 15 in the Sage Craek <br />drainage, were inaccessible due to snow cover and muddy conditions of the associated access roads. <br />Most drainage channels exhibited flow from snowmelt along their lower reaches, and there was flow in <br />roadside ditches in some locations. <br />Sediment Pond 005 had slushy ice cover, level approximately 4 feet below the top of the primary <br />spillway riser. There was no discharge. Snow cover and muddy conditions beneath the snow along "G" <br />road beyond Pond 005 precluded access to the "D" Pit reclamation areas. <br />Sediment Pond 006-had a slushy ice cover, and there was flow over the top of the primary spillway riser. <br />There was inflow to the pond through both culvert inlets, and there was also flow in the MEHR ditch <br />adjacent to the Pond 006 embankment. The pond was discharging clear water, estimated at <br />approximately 40 gpm. <br />Sediment Pond 016 had a slushy ice cover level with the top of the primary spillway riser, and. water was <br />spilling over the top of the riser. There was discharge of clear water, estimated at approximately 15 to <br />20 gpm. The major source df inflow appeared to be the flow from the damaged,monitoring wells located <br />between Pdnd 016 and'016A: <br />Sediment Pond 016A had a slushy ice cover, melted along the pond edges. Water/ice level was <br />approximately 5 or 6 feet below the top of the primary spillway riser, and there was no discharge. The <br />regraded pond in-slopes that had previously slumped were partially snow covered, but no indications of <br />instability were evident. There was inflow 'to the pond, through the large culvert at the northeast corner <br />(from mine area drainage) and from a road ditch outlet drain adjacent to the culvert location. Riprap <br />below the large culvert outlet has been displaced, and there has been minor scour beneath the fabric <br />underliner along the riprapped pond inlet channel. Maintenance is necessary to repair the inlet channel <br />from the culvert outlet down to the pond maximum water elevation. Also, riprap installation is needed <br />along the road ditch outlet, which has eroded along a steep segment of the pond in-slope. <br />Sediment Pond 017 had a slushy ice cover, and water was spilling over the top of the primary spillway <br />riser. Discharge from the pond was clear. There was a significant flow (perhaps 200 gpm) of sediment <br />laden runoff into the pond from the Wadge Pit/spoil area. The flow is directed into the pond by a ditch <br />along the light use road that extends to the east from the pond. The ditch has scoured in some <br />locations, with sediment deposition along other segments, and maintenance will be necessary when the <br />site is accessible to equipment. Conditions are presently too muddy for equipment access. <br />6 <br />