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Pa e 2 MINE ID # OR M-1977-439 INSPECTION DATE: 11/27/2006 INSPECTOR'S RMW PROSPECTING tD #: INITIALS: This inspection was conducted in response to an amendment application submitted to the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) on July 7, 2006 for the purpose of increasing the affected area and revising the reclamation plan to reduce the amount of open water to create a silt storage area. Present at the inspection were Richard Wenzel representing the Division and Eric Reckentine and Noel Weisenbacher representing the operator, Lafarge West, Inc. (Lafarge). The amendment application proposes to increase the affected area by 0.38 acres and convert 11.18 acres of Area F from open water to silt storage. The purpose of increasing of affected area by 0.38 acres is account for additional disturbance that occurred when Lafarge mined through a portion of the 25 feet offset berm that separates the Seaworth Parcel of the Home Office Mine from the Taft Hill Expansion Pit (Permit No. M-2001-051). At the time of this inspection, the portion of the berm that separates the Seaworth Parcel of the Home Office Mine from the Taft Hill Expansion Pit which had been mined through has been reconstructed to match the remainder of the berm. The portion of the berm that has been reconstructed measures approximately six hundred feet tong and approximately twenty five feet wide. The north and south faces of the berm have been constructed with a slope of approximately 3H:1 V. The reconstructed berm has not been revegetated. Eric Reckentine indicated thatthe berm was constructed of clay and compacted with scrapers as they imported the material. The proposed silt storage area is located in the northwest comer of Area F. Under the current reclamation plan, 34.4 acres of Area F will be open water. Under the new reclamation plan, the amount of open waterwill be reduced by 11.18 acres in order to construct the silt storage area. The silt storage area will be separated from the open water by an earthen berm. At the time of this inspection, an earthen berm approximately 12 feet wide an 1,200 feet long had been constructed in a southwesterly direction across Area F to create the silt storage area. This berm was constructed in the same manner as the berm that separates the Seaworth Parcel of the Home Office Mine from the Taft Hill Expansion Pit. The northwest and southeast faces of the berm have been constructed with a slope of approximately 3H:1V. Several feet of water was observed within the silt storage area. Eric Reckentine indicated that a slurry of wash fines will be pumped to the silt storage area from other portions of the site. After the wash fines settle out, the waterwill be pumped out and reused in the wash operation. Based on observations made during this inspection, the operator has followed the plan outlined in the amendment application. However, the amendment application does not indicate how the wash fines will be delivered to the silt storage area. This issue will need to be addressed in the operator's adequacy review response prior to the Division making a decision on the amendment application on December 5, 2006. Responses to this inspection report should be directed to Richard Wenzel at the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, Denver Office, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215, Denver, Colorado 80203, phone number 303-866- 4935. Enforcement and Inspection Contact Address NAME: Mr. Eric Reckentine OPERATOR: Lafarge West, Inc. STREET: P.O. Box 2187 CITY/STATE2IP: Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 cc U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CO Hazardous Materials and Waste Division U.S. Bureau of land Management CO State Engineers Office U.S. Forest Service x OTHER: Noel Weisenbacher, Lafarge West, Inc. CO Department of Transportation OTHER: