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(Page 2) <br />MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID # M-1976-051 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS PSH <br />INSPECTION DATE 6/24/09 <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />The Bettger Gravel Pit, File No. M-1976-051, was inspected by Peter Hays with the Division of Reclamation, <br />Mining and Safety (Division) as part of the Division's monitoring inspection program. Mr. Fred Duckels with <br />Duckels Construction, Inc. dba Yampa Aggregates was present during the inspection. <br />The Bettger Gravel Plt is located 6 miles west of Steamboat Springs in Routt County, Colorado. A 112c permit <br />was issued May 8, 1977. The permit was transferred to Duckels Construction, Inc. on June 15, 1989. A <br />technical revision (TR-01) was approved by the Division on March 12, 2003 to indicate the clay shooting <br />range, the gravel pit and revise the seed mix for the clay shooting range. The site was previously inspected by <br />the Division on September 23, 2002. <br />Mining was actively taking place during the inspection. The approved Mining Plan states gravel will be mined <br />in approximately 50 foot by 150 foot sections. The sections will be stripped of 10 to 15 feet of overburden <br />and the overburden will be used to reclaim the previously mined section. The operator will strip one section <br />while backfilling the previous section. After the section has been stripped, 15 to. 10 feet of gravel will be <br />excavated from the area. The resulting reclamation section depressions will be sloped no steeper than 3:1. <br />Mining at the Bettger Gravel Pit has progressed from south to north as indicated in the mining plan. The site <br />was being mined adjacent to the northern pit boundary during the inspection. Approximately 5 feet of gravel <br />remain below the current pit floor in the last section of Phase 3. Mr. Duckels stated Duckels Construction <br />intends to expand the pit to the north in the future. <br />The approved post mining land use for the site is rangeland and recreation. The south and east portions of <br />the site have been reclaimed as a clay shooting range and golf driving range by the land owner. The land <br />owner was disking the field west of the pond during the inspection. A large topsoil stockpile was observed <br />east of the haul road and south of Phase 2. <br />Mr. Druckels stated the current mine section was being backfilled to the original pre-mining level with <br />imported fill. The approved reclamation plan does not mention the use of imported material as backfill <br />material. To avoid a possible violation, the operator must within 30 days provide the Division notice of any <br />proposed backfill activity not identified in the approved reclamation plan. Please see the corrective action <br />section of this report for further details. A copy of Rule 3.1.5(9) is attached for reference. <br />The Division currently holds a financial warranty of $35,000, which is adequate to complete the reclamation <br />of the site based on the observations from this inspection. <br />An entrance sign was posted and permit boundary markers were observed as required by Rule 3.1.12.