Laserfiche WebLink
<br />U. S. Department of the Interior <br />June 1, 1979 <br />Page 3 <br />DISCUSSION <br />The operator advises the Assessment Office that all <br />areas of potential violation are areas within the mining <br />permit area. Any actual or potential negative environmental <br />impact of the claimed violation would clearly stay within <br />the confines of the mining permit area. It is the impression <br />of the operator that no one potential violation constitutes <br />a significant source of either actual or potential environ- <br />mental harm. <br />A. Violation No. 1. <br />Inspector Damrow observed spoil material in an <br />area southwest of the access road to mining area no. 2. <br />The spoil material consisted of material temporarily <br />deposited in an area adjacent to the mine access road, on <br />the old road bed. <br />It was the operator's intention to remove this <br />temporarily placed spoil material, without damage to the <br />underlying soil strata, as soon as weather and ground moisture <br />conditions would permit. The Assessment Office should be <br />aware that the Colorado Rocky Mountains have had extensive <br />snowfall during the winter and spring of 1978 - 1979 (as <br />much as 2008 of average in some areas). Heavy winter <br />moisture, combined with a late spring and many late spring <br />snows, has prevented the removal of the approximate 80 tons <br />of spoil material observed by the inspector. The weather <br />conditions have stabilized in recent days, and soil conditions <br />have also stabilized, permitting removal of the material <br />on Tuesday, May 29, 1979. The area (which is primarily old <br />road bed) was cleaned, regraded and given temporary seeding. <br />The placement of spoil material southwest of the <br />haul road leading to pit no. 2 was within the mine permit <br />area. There has been no permanent environmental damage <br />either within or without the mine premises. Now that <br />better weather conditions exist and the mine operations <br />themselves are moving into the second phase, it is unlikely ~ - <br />that logistical conditions could arise which would result <br />in a repetition of placement of spoil material in other <br />than previously designated areas. <br />