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• (Page 21 • MINE ID N OR PROSPECTING ID rX M-97-027 INSPECTION DATE 5/20/99 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS RCO OBSERVATIONS This inspection was performed by the Division as part of its monitoring of Construction Materials 110 permits. The operator named on page one is both a present permittee (partner in the Moonscape Partners LLP) and wishing to become the successor operator on his own (see Succession of Operator application SO-01, 19991• The operator was contacted about the inspection and was present throughout the inspection. Since the permit is being transferred to a new operator, the new operator must ensure that a current permit ID sign is posted at the entrance to the site. The sign must include: 11 the permit number, 21 a statement that the permit was issued by the Mined Land Reclamation Board, and 31 the name of the operator. The new operator must ensure that all boundaries of this irregularly-shaped permit are adequately marked. The sign and markers must be maintained far the life of the operation. Please refer to Rule 3.1.12 regarding the sign and markers. I A set of Rules and Regulations is being mailed to the new operator, per his request, with his copy of the inspection report.) The new operator stated that a new sign would be posted at the entrance to this property. and that he hired a surveyor to locate and mark all permit boundary corners Though the topic of "signs and markers" is not noted as a problem in this report due to the current permit transfer the new operator should document the posting of the new sign and installation of markers by photos and provide them to this office. The present pit is small, being 15 feet deep and measuring about 100 ft by 100 ft. The pit is at the top of the ramp road, and excavation is growing tp the north. All of the north half of the permit area has been stripped of topsoil, which is windrowed along the eastern fenceline. A small crusher is present in the pit. Highwalls are vertical on the west, 1:1 on the north and 2:1 on the east. New material to process is pushed down from the east, and is stockpiled outside the pit on the east. The pit floor is at the level of the bottom of the gravel layer. The toe of the above-mentioned topsoil berm was placed at the fenceline, which is also the permit boundary. The sideslopes are steep, and the potential is there for weathering to cause some material to slough outside of the permitted area. The operator must monitor this, and act to prevent it if necessary. Further material to be stockpiled should not be placed so close to the boundary. Topsoil should be protected while it is stockpiled. The pile's surface is rough, which may act to help trap moisture and silt for aiding in the temporary vegetation of the pile. This being an exposed hilltop site, the operator must ensure that topsoil piles are protected against wind erosion and sloughing outside the permit area. Recommended seeding of stably-configured piles could include western wheatgrass and/or yellow sweetclover, broadcast on the piles and raked in. For the future, the piles land any topsoil that is to be respread) should be protected against infestation by noxious weeds also. The south half of the permit area is not mined, but has had a couple of acres stripped of its native vegetation. Greasewood was the dominant type there. When that area is to be mined, the topsoil will be stripped and similarly stockpiled along the east edge and/or stockpiled on the western side near the shoulder of the slope. One item noted in the pre-operation inspection (dated 6/5/97) which was again noted during this inspection, was the presence of a noxious weed known as knapweed. It is not clear if the species present was Russian knapweed or spotted knapweed. However, State law requires that every landowner on whose land a noxious weed appears is responsible for the treatment and control of such weed. The weed patch occurs on the adjoining farmland also least of permit areal but the permitted operator need only treat the weeds on his land. It is recommended that weed treatments be coordinated with the adjoining landowner simply so the problem does not keep reinfesting treated land from adjoining untreated land. The present weed patch in the permit area is estimated to be less than one-half acre. However, it has grown significantly in the two years since the last inspection. Because the noxious weed infestation must be controlled. and because it is present on the permitted area. the permittee must provide anadeguate control plan to this office, and begin to implement it this year. The control plan will become Dart of the permit. and will be an inspection topic in the future. Please be aware that if left untreated the problem will worsen, and may become almost too much to afford to control if the weeds are allowed to infest the topsoil that is to be respread on the site.