_INSPECTION - C1980001 (30) - Laserfiche WebLink

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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. This was a partial inspection conducted as a follow up bond release inspection. Maintenance items were identified during the Division's July 20, 2009 Bond Release inspection for SL-10 and SL-11. The purpose of the inspection was to verify that the maintenance items had been corrected appropriately. The weather was dry and overcast, changing to scattered thunderstorms in the early afternoon. The mine is a reclaimed surface mine. Both SL10 and SL11 are for final phase III bond release for the remaining liability areas at the mine. The mine site was dry at the onset of the inspection, with a quick thunderstorm passing through the permit area during the inspection. The inspection started by all participants meeting at the junction of Routt County road#179 and Colorado state highway 131. Participants in the inspection included: Jason Musick and Janet Binns, of CDRMS, Christine Belka, of OSM, Sarah Hagenbach and Christine Shook, of NRCS, Steve Leach, of Chevron Mining Inc. Tom Maniotis, landowner, Scott Hayden, representing several landowners, John, Terry, Bobby Redd, adjacent landowners. The inspection started at the SL10 sediment trap area. During the July 20, 2009 bond release inspection, several pipes were observed partially buried at the edge of the reclaimed sediment pond. Chevron had cut these pipes off prior to this inspection, and Mr. Leach removed them from the site during this inspection. Mr. Leach reported that Chevron had a contractor spray for thistle around August 9, 2009. Milestone® was the herbicide used. No additional items of concern had been identified for follow up for this portion of the inspection(SL-10). The inspection then continued to the Moffat area. Mr. Leach reported that weed patches in the Moffat and West Ridge areas had also been sprayed with Milestone® around August 9, 2009. Uptake of the herbicide was not immediately obvious due to a lack of epistasis or nodding flower heads. The Division consulted with Mr. Greg Brown of Routt County Weed Department on August 31, 2009, who infomed the Division that Milestone® often does not show visual signs of uptake until vegetative mortality several weeks following herbicide appliction. Spraying the plants even at flowering stage will stress the root stores, and a second spraying in September should provide additional mortality to these noxious weeds. Milestone® tends to take a little bit longer before you see a visual result. Thistle patches along the permanent access road were observed. Evidence of 4-wheeler tire tracks from the sprayer were noted though no obvious plant mortality of the thistles or of the Houndstongue rosettes were observed. Many of the thistles had gone to flower and some had produced seed. The inspection was about to proceed along the down drains to observe the weed patches when an isolated thunderstorm (with lightning) moved into the area. Due to concerns regarding lightning the inspection proceeded to the upper(eastern)portions of West Ridge non-topsoiled reclamation area. 3 of 6 WHITE-File YELLOW-Operator PINK-Specialist