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(Page 2) • MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-94-117 INSPECTION DATE 6/17/96 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS ACS OBSERVATIONS This inspection was conducted in response to two anonymous telephone complaints that were left on the Division's voice mail system over the weekend of June 15 & 16, 1996. Both compl.ainanta stated that water was discharging from the Hazel-A adit, and one of the complainants referenced a large rip in the tailing pond liner. The tailing pond spray evaporation system was not in operation at the time of this inspection. Replacement pumps for the spray evaporation system required to be installed in the Division's 6/3/96 inspection report had not yet been installed. The deadline for pump inste~llation specified in the 6/3/96 inspection report was 6/10/96. Failure to install the replacement pumps by the specified deadline is considered a possible violation (PV). See item #1 on the last page of this report. There is a large hole in the tailing pond liner located at the northwest corner of the pond near the mill water discharge pipe. It appears as if the liner was intentionally cut with a knife. There is also a small hole adjacent to, and just below the knife cut. Both of the see holes are above the elevation of the pond water surface, so no leakage is occurring. The see liner defects will have to be repaired within 30 days, using the methodologies approved in ttie permit. See item #2 on the last page of this report. The land application system was operating at the time of this inspection. The land application system was also operating at the time of the Division's 6/3/96 inspection, and Byron LeBlanc, representing COM, Inc., indicated during the 6/3/96 inspection that the land application system had been operated on at least several occasioria during the month of May, 1996. The Division has not yet received any water quality analyses for the Land applied watex•. Weekly sampling and analyses of the land applied water is required. COM, Inc. must provide available water quality data for land applied water within one week. See item #3 on the last page of this report. For any future land application water sampling event e, the samples must be collected at one of the sprinkler heads, and analyses, at a minimum, must include potentially dissolved lead, copper, mercury, selenium, silver, and zinc. Sevex•al pools of water had developed below the lowest two sprinkler heads of the spray evaporation system. The small borrow pit located above the tailing pond also contained a pool of water, and land applied water was being sprayed into the borrow pit. The approved reclz~mation permit for the Gold Hill Mill requires that solution application rates be low enough that neither ponding or runoff from the land application area will occur. When pooling of water begins to occur in the land application area, the land application system must be shut-off. Any recurrence of the situation observed (water pooling) during this inspection will result in a hearing for possible violation (PV) before the Mined Land Reclamation Board. See item #4 on the last page of this report. The Division recommends that valves be installed on each arm of the land application system so that selected sprinklers can be shut-off if water begins to pool on the surface. Also, COM, Inc. is advi=_;ed that land application is approved in the reclamation permit as a secondarv waste watex• disposal method, to be used only as necessary to maintain a negative water balance. The tailing pond spray evaporation system is to be utilized ae the primary waste water disposal method. The Hazel-A adit was inspected. There was no discharge from the Hazel-A ad it at the t:~me of this inspection, and no indications that there had been any recent discharges. The portal hatcki for the Hazel-A is in a poor condition and needs to be repaired. The staple (U-bolt) for t:he locking mechanism is pulling away from the CMP ad it entry tube. It is clear that screwing the staple into the CMP with a large sheet metal screw is inadequate, and that the attachments of both the locking mechanisms and the hinges to the CMP need to be upgraded. See item #5 on the last page of this report. The Elazel-A portal log book was located just inby of the hatch, in a location were it could easily be removed through the window in the hatch. The log book must be stored in a secure location in the Hazel-A ad it at all times. The log book consists of a pad of ordinary paper exposed to the elements. The log book needs to be stored in a water tight container. The last entry in the log book was 5/10/96, so either COM, Inc. has not inspected the Hazel-A adit facilities since 5/10/96, or the Hazel-A inspections are not being recorded in the log.