2011-05-31_INSPECTION - C1981020

Home Browse Search

Munger Canyon Complete Oversight Inspection Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) Permit ID # C -1981 -020 Tuesday, May 3, 2011, 9:00 — 12:30 Operator: CAM Mining, LLC Participants: Mike Boulay, DRMS Elizabeth Shaeffer, OSM, Badge # 377 Weather conditions: upper 60's, partly cloudy, dry This was a complete oversight inspection of the Munger Canyon mine site conducted jointly by Mike Boulay of the DRMS Grand Junction Field Office and Elizabeth Shaeffer of OSM's Denver Field Division. This site is inactive and mostly reclaimed. We checked the mine records at the office of J. E. Stover and Associates located in Grand Junction. With the exception of a current Insurance Certificate (expired December 1, 2010), and a copy of the current NPDES Permit, all documents were on file and up to date. The NPDES Permit has expired and is under administrative extension through no fault of the mine. CAM Mining, LLC must update the records with a current Insurance Certificate. The gate to the mine site was unlocked by adjacent property owners that were doing maintenance. The mine ID sign was intact and contained all of the necessary information (see Photo 1). Several signs indicating the boundary for the Stream Buffer Zone for Munger Creek were intact (see Photo 2). There are no facilities on site to inspect. Near the gate area, we checked the culverts associated with East Salt Creek and Munger Creek. East Salt creek was flowing due to snow melt, but Munger Creek was dry with the exception of a few damp areas. The large culvert where Munger Creek passes under the road was clear (see Photo 3). The road was dry and showed no signs of erosion. The vegetation covering the waste disposal site and the cover soil stockpile is well established see Photo 4). The two topsoil stockpiles are also nicely vegetated. This area is fenced in so that the elk cannot access it and feed on the forage on the vegetation. The sediment pond was dry and vegetated. Its embankment appeared stable. The primary and emergency spillways appeared clear and maintained (see Photo 5). We hiked into the canyon towards the old portal area by way of a drainage bottom of a tributary of Munger Creek. Once we reached the end of the drainage, we scurried up the steep cliff face to the portal area above. The vegetation near the reclaimed portal area is establishing itself nicely. There are damaged silt fences at the toe of the mine bench near the reclaimed portals (see Photo 6). These should be repaired. It should be noted that a Phase I bond release occurred in 2008 for this portal area and the portal access road leading to it. At the portals, Mr. Boulay indicated that some additional work needed to be done to seal the portals in 2009 after a small opening had formed. The ground near the portals has healed itself nicely and appears stable. There is no indication of erosion (see Photo 7). Next we walked along the reclaimed portal access road on our way out of the canyon. There are a number of permanent rock drainages that cross over the reclaimed road. Each one was functioning as designed and at the time of inspection did not appear to show signs of fatigue or erosion (see Photo 8). The hummocky backfilled areas along portions of the reclaimed road are providing a good habitat for vegetation establishment. Mr. Boulay notified me that this reclaimed portal access road won a Colorado Mining Association Reclamation Award in 2008. The slope of the backfill blends nicely with the steep surroundings (see Photo 9).