2011-03-29_INSPECTION - M2011001

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PERMIT #: M-2011-001 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: PSH INSPECTION DATE: March 22, 2011 OBSERVATIONS This was a pre-operation inspection of the Iverson Mine conducted by Peter Hays with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division). Mrs. Anne Johnson with Lafarge West, Inc. was present during the inspection. The 112c application package was received by the Division on January 3, 2011 and deemed complete for purposes of filing on January 25, 2011. The current permit application decision date is April 25, 2011. The site is located approximately 1 mile northwest of Greeley, Colorado in Weld County. The required notice sign was not observed during the inspection. Pam Hora with Tetra Tech provided a photograph of the posted notice sign posted at the entrance gate from Road F via email after inspection. The permit boundary corners were not delineated at the time of the inspection. However, the main site is well defined by fences on the south and east sides and the Cache la Poudre River on the west and north sides. Ms. Johnson indicated the permit boundary markers for the mine site and conveyor route would be installed prior to start of mining activities. The proposed Iverson Mine will be 66.5 total acres divided into 4 mining phases. A total of 65.9 acres of land will be disturbed resulting in a 45.1 acre open water pond. All mining activities will occur on land owned by Tim and Jeanne Iverson. A strip of land owned by the City of Greeley will be used for a conveyor route to the 35th Avenue Mine where the material will be processed. Mining activity will commence in the southeast corner of the mine. The area will be stripped of topsoil and overburden and the material will be stockpiled on the south side of the property. Once the deposit from the southeast corner has been mined, the topsoil and overburden will be stripped from the center cell and the material will be used to reclaim the southeast corner. The center of the cell will then be mined. Following mining of the center of the cell, the topsoil and overburden will be stripped from the north end of the cell and the material will be used to reclaim the center of the cell. The north end of the site will then be mined. Upon completion of the north cell mining, the area will be reclaimed using some of the overburden and topsoil stockpiled on top of the mining cell at the start of the project. Once the north end of the cell has been partially reclaimed with the stockpiled material, the southwest corner of the site will be stripped of topsoil and overburden and the material will be used to complete the reclamation of the north end of the cell. The southwest corner of the cell will then be mined and reclaimed with the remaining stockpiled topsoil and overburden. The site will be excavated as a dewatered open pit using standard mining equipment. The topsoil is approximately six to twelve inches deep and overburden is three to six feet deep across the site. The sand and gravel is 14 to 29 feet deep across the site and mining is intended to progress down to claystone or sandstone bedrock. The groundwater level is approximately 5 to 10 feet below the natural ground level. The present land use is general agriculture. The current vegetation consisted of native grasses and agricultural fields. The landowner has used recycled concrete to reinforce sections of the river bank and create flood and _ erosion protection structures. Lafarge is proposing to mine through a small created wetland area on the east edge of the mining cell. Lafarge is working with the Corps of Engineers regarding the regulatory requirements related to the wetland area. The proposed post-mining land use is wildlife habitat. The Iverson property will be reciaimed as an unlined, open water pond surrounded by Uplands. Tine rulne highwalis will be regraded with overburden material. The slopes above and below the post-mine high water level will be 3H:1V or flatter. Topsoil replaced in upland areas will be at a depth of at least six inches. Page 2 of 5