_INSPECTION - C1981038 (27) - 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 of the Bowie No. 1 Mine conducted by Marcia Talvitie of the Colorado DRMS beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, 24 September 2009. Basil Bear represented the operator, Bowie Resources LLC, during the inspection. Weather conditions were clear and cool. The primary focus of this inspection was the water and power line corridor that travels from Stevens Gulch Road, near the well field, to the East Mine. We began our hike at the upper level of the East Mine and followed the corridor up to the saddle and down the western side. A power line buried along the route continues to provide electrical service to homes further up Stevens Gulch. There are three electrical vaults on the face of the reclaimed East Mine and an additional two along the corridor. With TR-49, BRL was permitted to install two exploration / methane ventilation boreholes into the unmined reserves within the permit area. These were drilled in the fall of 2008. Following the power line hike!,we drove to inspect the site of the westernmost of the two holes. ToP-soil Topsoil at the drill site was in two piles-a large one on the north side of the pad (Figure 1) and a smaller pile to the south. Both piles were marked with signs. Silt fence installed previously had been torn down from the support posts due, no doubt, to a combination of snow load and wildlife. Silt fence should be repaired prior to the onset of winter, and checked in the spring following snowmelt, to ensure that the topsoil resource is protected. Reclamation schedules for the two drill pad sites can not yet be determined. Section 4.06.3(2)(a) requires that topsoil be protected from wind and water erosion by seeding (or other method as approved by the Division). These piles should be broadcast seeded this fall or in the spring, in accordance with the rule. This will also help to slow the establishment of undesirable plant species. General Mine Plan Compliance The methane ventilation hole (GVBH-6C) pad was constructed adjacent to a pre-existing roadway that provides access to a cluster of microwave towers located further up the ridge. Surface disturbance at the pad is well-delineated by a combination of T-posts and white barrier fence. The borehole is protected by a chain-link fence enclosure (Figure 2). The pad floor has been graded smooth, and no noxious weeds were observed to be growing at the site. Revegetation Revegetation success on the reclaimed water/power line corridor is remarkable. The lower portions exh"bit very dense growth of predominantly wheat grasses (Figure 3), which give way to smooth brome at the higher elevations (Figure 4). Alfalfa plants were scattered throughout. There were no noxious weeds observed, with the exception of a small patch of Canada thistle on the western leg, approximately two-thirds of the way down to the bottom. The inspection concluded at 10:30 a.m. Bowie No. 1 Mine C-1981-038 24-Sep-2009