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MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID #: M-19R'i-t 16 <br />INSPECTION DATE: 7!2'i/2QQ9 INSPECTOR=S INITIALS: JLE <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />This was a normal monitoring inspection of the Gentz Pit, M-1983-116 operated by the Kiowa County <br />Government. This site is located six miles north and one mile east of Kornman, Colorado is Prowers County. I, <br />Jared Ebert of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety conducted the inspection. Mr. Rodney <br />Hopkins of Kiowa County accompanied me on the inspection. <br />The boundary of the mine site is delineated by mounds of dirt around the circumference of the operation. It <br />does not appear that this site has been active for a long period of time. The haul road did not show signs of <br />recent activity. Also, grasses, and weeds have volunteered throughout the disturbed area indicating inactivity. <br />According to Mr. Hopkins, the county has not mined material out of this pit for several years. It appears that <br />the operation has been inactive for longer than 180 days, which is currently not in accordance with the <br />approved mining and reclamation plan for this site. This is cited as a problem at the end of this report and <br />will require corrective actions taken by the operator. <br />Given this, the operator will need to do one of the following options: <br />1.) Initiate mining <br />2.) Submit a Notice of Temporary Cessation as outline in Rule 1.13.5 (2) for an initial five years of <br />cessation. <br />3.) In accordance with Rule 1.13.17, submit a Technical Revision to the approved mining plan to allow <br />for period of inactivity for longer than 180 days. This revision will also need to include all the <br />information required for a notice of Temporary Cessation as outline in Rule 1.13.5 (2). <br />4.) Initiate Reclamation of the site. <br />There is a small 4 acres pit excavation at the site containing a highwall that was measured to be about 540 feet <br />in length and about 15-20 feet in height. The excavation is advancing to the south. There are several mounds <br />of material located at the eastern end of the disturbed area and mound of material located on top of the pit <br />highwall on the southern end of the disturbed area. It is assumed that this material is the topsoil stockpiles. <br />The southern mound is not stable at its current location. As the operation has advanced it appears that the <br />topsoil pile has partially collapsed into the pit excavation. This is cited as a problem at the end of this report <br />and will require corrective actions taken by the operator. The operator will need to move the remaining <br />portion of this pile away from the pit excavation to a location where it will not be disturbed by future mining <br />operations. <br />According to the current approved reclamation plan, the operator is to remove and store 9-12 inches of <br />surface material to be used for reclamation. This is vitally important to the success of reclamation. The <br />operator will need to be sure to remove and store the required amount of material for the remainder of the <br />operation. <br />The highwall appears to be about 50 to 100 feet from the southern permit boundary. The final pit slopes are <br />to be set at no greater than a 3:1 horizontal to vertical ratio. Given how close the highwall is to the permit <br />boundary, the operator will need to consider reclaiming the required pit slopes while there is still room to do <br />so. <br />No other problems were observed at this time.