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.r (Page 2) '~ MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-81-013 INSPECTION DATE__12/12/97 INSPHCTOR'S INITIALS RCO This partial inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of 110 permits. The operator was contacted about the inspection, and a time was arranged to meet at the site. The operator was present throughout the inspection. The permit ID sign was not observed posted on the access road, either at the county road or at the edge of the permit area. The operator stated that the sign was posted at the county road until recently (which is corroborated by the file) but did not why it was removed. The topic of "signs and markers is not noted as a problem in this report, but the operator must again post the sign, pursuant to Rule 3.1.12. (Please refer to that rule to ensure the sign contains all the required information.) Some of the boundary markers were observed along the permit boundary, but possibly due to snowcover, they could not all be seen. If they are fallen down, the operator must repair and maintain them to ensure they are all visible. Again, this is not regarded as a problem at this time. The operator was able to indicate where all boundaries were located, which matched the boundary map in the file. The pit has a long highwall on the north and east sides, which is nearly vertical, from 15 to 25 feet tall. A large topsoil stockpile is situated directly adjacent to the top of the highwall. Mining cannot proceed farther in those directions, but backfilling must occur from below to reduce the slope before the topsoil can be moved onto the slope. There is a large area of reject material in the south part of the pit which will be used for backfilling and shaping. There is also a bench road along the highwall, which will be removed during grading. The north topsoil pile (mentioned above) and the two smaller ones on the south are all adequately vegetated. The piles exhibited perennial vegetation even above the several inches of new snow. There was very little weed growth observed on the topsoil. There appears to be sufficient topsoil present to perform reclamation. A minor drainage crosses the permit area from the southeast and exits the northwest. The operator has left a willow and cottonwood area in the bottom of the western part of the pit, in the drainage path. There is also an installed gravel sediment filter in the northwest corner, at the point where drainage leaves the permit. Some of the other adjacent land on the east and west contribute run-on to the pit, some of which is irrigation tail water. The permit area contains a small scale and scalehouse on the west side. These will be removed during reclamation. The house is about 8' x 10', wood framed and on skids. The scale is 30' x 10', steel with concrete footers. The only other structures are a small wooden, earth-filled loadout and a corrugated pipe at the wellhead. Both of these structures are very minor and will be removed during reclamation. The well is shallow and supplies water used for duet control onsite. If special reclamation closure procedures are needed, please provide those details to this office. There is almost no debris in the permit area, and no equipment at the present time. Stockpiled material, besides the reject and topsoil piles, includes small amounts of pitrun and gravel. Some of the stockpile faces appear to have remained undisturbed for several years due to the vegetation present on them. Activity lately consists almost exclusively of stockpile removal. The operator mentioned that some of the parts of the permit will be reclaimed soon. The main tasks are the