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(Page 21 MINE ID M OR PROSPECTING ID k M-90-070 INSPECTION DATE 08-i6-95 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS SSS OBSERVATIONS This was a partial inspection of the Eureka Pit in San Juan County conducted as part of the board ordered county wide operations inspection program for 1995. The pit is a county operation that produces gravel by crushing rock excavated from a rock slide and stockpiling the product on the flat at the bottom of the slide. The permit indicates that the slopes will be maintained at a 3:1 to 4:1 slope as rock is pushed 60 feet down the slide from a 400 foot long bench. As [aced in last yers report: Currently the 400 foot long bench is virtually gone on the southern 200 feet and it appears that the county has begun mining this area by excavating the toe of the slide and using gravity feed to replace rock at the toe. This mining method has created slopes that appear to be at an approximate 1:1 slope. Additionally, the slide zone that recharges the rock at the toe of the slope extends approximately 200 feet up the slope instead of the permitted 60 feet. The slide zone is now encroaching on County Road N25 above the pit. The road accesses mine facilities belonging to Sunnyside Gold Corporation and continues as public access to the Lake Emma area. It appears that San Juan County could have conducted mining operations, as permitted, from the northern 200 feet of the bench road rather than excavating the toe out of the current excavation area which is not an approved operation. At this point it may be impossible to achieve the permitted 3:1 - 4:1 final slopes without importation of material. San Juan County must conduct backfilling operations on [he over-excavated slope so that the required 3:1 grade is established and the stability of County Road #25 above the site is re-established. Any future excavation at the site should be conducted according to the approved mining plan. If San Juan County wishes to change their mining plan, a revision to their permit will need to be submitted to the Division. The permit/disturbed area boundary is not clearly marked on a map in the permit nor are there any disturbed area boundary markers at the site as required by Rule 3.1 .12. Therefore it is unclear whether or not any off-site damage has occurred at the site. It is possible that the slide zone encroaching upward to County Road R25 may be considered off-site damage. Additionally, some of the stockpiles may be placed beyond the permit boundary. San Juan County will need to submit a map that clearly delineates the 3 acre permit area/disturbed area boundary and install the disturbed area boundary markersn to adequately define the boundaries on the ground. Due to the high tourist visitation to the area, it is recommended that the markers be constructed adequately to deter their removal. The permit indicates [hat none of the spruce trees or cottonwood trees on site will be destroyed. The northern most stockpile has been placed so that it partially buries some of these trees. It appears that it has killed at least one of them and may kill more. San Juan County will need to move this stockpile away from any trees, taking care not to destroy them in the process. Any trees that are destroyed will need to be replaced by San Juan County as committed to in the approved permit. San Juan County is strongly encouraged to comply with the corrective actions specified on page three of this report, and to comply by the corrective action dates specified for those actions. Failure to do so may result in enforcement actions being taken for non- compliance with permit conditions of Permit No. M-90-070, the Construction Materials Rules and Regulations, and the Mined Land Reclamation Act. I & E Contact Address NAME Louis Girodo OPERATOR San Juan County STREET 1512 Greene Street CITY/STATE/ZIP Silverton, Colorado 81433 cc: Tom Gillis, DMG ^ CE ^ BL ^ FS ^ HW ^ HMWMD ICHI ^ SE ^ WOCD ICHI ^ OTHER