2011-08-03_INSPECTION - M1977256

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OBSERVATIONS PERMIT #: M- 1977 -256 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: PSH INSPECTION DATE: July 27, 2011 This was a pre- operation inspection for the pending amendment application (AM -01) and a monitoring inspection of the current Benson Pit conducted by Peter Hays with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division). Mr. Bill Clark with Grand County Department of Road and Bridge was present during the inspection. The 112c amendment application package was received by the Division on May 20, 2011 and deemed complete for purposes of filing on June 14, 2011. The Benson Pit is located 2 miles northwest of Frasier, Colorado in Grand County. The required notice sign was posted at the entrance gate off of CR 5. The amendment and permit boundaries were delineated with barbed wire fence and steel posts. The proposed Benson Pit amendment will add 28.54 acres to the permit area increasing the total permit acreage to 104.28. The amendment area is located to the east of the existing permit area. The reclamation plan will remain unchanged with the exception that the power lines now bisecting the old permit area may be removed, at which time the area under the lines will be mined. In addition, it may be practical to join the floors of the Benson Pit with the adjoining Morrow Pit along the north side. This will be done if the other mine operator modifies their permit to allow removing the adjoining slope and setbacks on their property. Either or both of these revisions of the reclamation plan will require a technical revision to be filed by Grand County Road and Bridge in the future. The present land use of the amendment area is rangeland. The proposed post- mining land use is rangeland, which is consistent with the post- mining land use for the current site. The mining activity is not expected to reach bedrock or expose groundwater. The site will be mined 25 to 35 feet deep with a 25' offset from all property boundaries. The reclamation plan will be to reshape, re- topsoil and revegetate the area with grass seed once mining is complete. The site will be regraded at 2H:1V along the perimeter and at 3H:1V adjacent to the power lines. The seed mixture for the site was revised as part of the amendment application. Reclamation will run concurrently with mining. No more than 25 acres will be disturbed at one time. The last inspection of the site was conducted by the Division on May 9, 2006. The site was actively mining during the inspection. The processing plant was operational and stockpiled material was being removed by Denver Water and Grand County. The mining highwall was located in the middle of the permitted site and was progressing to the east. The highwall was measure to be approximately 35 feet high. Areas east and north of the mining area were being stripped using a scraper to create a new access road. Grand County plans to relocate the entrance for the site from CR 5 to the road for the Grand County maintenance facility located south of the amendment area. The current haul road located to the east of CR 5 was being relocated to the west and Grand County plans to reclaim the area between CR 5 and the new haul road soon. The southwest corner of the site is being reclaimed by the operator. The area had been resloped and seeded. The reclamation activities will process to the north in the future. A large area of imported, end dumped topsoil stockpiles are located in the north end of the site. The stockpiles will be pushed to the north to create a larger stockpile. The operator will need to comply with the requirements of Rule 3.1.5(9) if they intend to use the imported material at the site. This issue was address in the adequacy letter dated August 2, 2011. Additional topsoil stockpiles were observed along the northern boundary and on the power line ridge. Page 2 of 5