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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. The following is a narrative of an impromptu inspection that I conducted at the Raton Creek mine. This inspection was conducted because I believed that there could be the potential of imminent environmental harm if recent heavy rains compromised the sediment control system. From my inspection I did not find this to be the case. On June 1, 1995, as I was driving nortfi bound on I-25, I noticed that there was a gully running down the west face of the partially reclaimed RDA at the Raton Creek Mine. Knowing that the past week had been very wet in the Trinidad area, (the Golden Eagle Mine receiving 3 inches of rain in two days) I decided to take a closer look. As I was entering the mine site I was met by Mr. Iupa and I told him that I had noticed erosion on the slope and was checking the mine because of all the recent heavy rains. The time was about 7:00 p.m. I took photographs with a digital camera and these are stored on a floppy labeled "Raton." I noted that there were cattle with free range within the mine disturbed area. Some of the mine areas appeared to have been revegetated earlier; this area is to the south (right) of the mine access road. I later learned that this area was the location of the topsoil pile. The vegetation was sparse. This area was heavily trampled and a few cows were noted. There was a silt fence that was full and will require immediate maintainance. There were gullies formed in this azea. The runoff from this small area exemption does not go to the sediment pond and the filter fence is the only sediment control for this area. The west slope of the RDA was gullied (photos). No vegetation, mulch or seed was noted on these slopes. I inspected the disturbed area and took about 20 photos of the mine area of different erosion features. There were cattle tracks throughout the mine disturbed area and extensive erosion and no vegetation or mulch. I checked the upper diversion on the north side of the mine and the creek that runs through the mine area; both held up well to the rain. After returning to the office I reported my findings to Janet Binns the lead specialist for the mine. During the following week she followed-up on the maintainance issues that I had noted.