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OBSERVATIONS <br />PERMIT #: M -1990 -134 <br />INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: DMC <br />INSPECTION DATE: August 18, 2011 <br />This partial inspection was conducted by the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety in response to a <br />citizen complaint. Jason Musick, with the DRMS coal program, was present during this inspection. James and <br />Kathleen Ross are the landowners and permit holders for this site. Bower Brothers Construction, Inc. operates <br />the gravel pit. A representative for the Operator was not present during this inspection. Photographs are <br />included at the end of this report in order to illustrate some of the conditions observed. <br />The Ross Pit is located approximately 3.6 miles east of Craig and accessed from Hwy 394. The access road <br />intersects Hwy 394 at the approximate GPS coordinates: 40.497677 °, - 107.477143 °. The site entrance is <br />located approximately 0.6 miles north of Hwy 394. The site is a 1 l Oc operation that includes a total of 6.92 <br />permitted acres. The Division currently holds a financial warranty amount of $5,000.00 for this site. The <br />Division will review the reclamation costs for this site in order to ensure the financial warranty reflects the <br />actual current cost of fulfilling the requirements of the Reclamation Plan. The Operator will be notified if the <br />Division determines that the current financial warranty amount is insufficient. <br />Adequate mine identification signage was noted at the entrance to the site in accordance with Rule 3.1.12(1). <br />On August 9, 2011 the Division received a complaint from a concerned citizen that the Ross Pit had imported <br />coal mine waste to the site from Twentymile Coal mine for burial in their pit. The complainant estimated that <br />"thousands of tons" of the material had been imported to the site. <br />It was confirmed during this inspection that what appeared to be coal mine waste had in fact been imported to <br />the site. The material was stockpiled along the north part of the pit area. The amount of the material at the site <br />was roughly estimated to be around 1,500 yds The material appeared to consist of coal chunks, coal and <br />limestone dust, and various other mine related debris. It should be noted that at this time further importation of <br />this material is NOT AUTHORIZED by the Division. The Division will further investigate this matter in order <br />to determine the necessary corrective actions. The Operator shall not remove the material from the site until <br />further instruction is received from the Division. <br />Responses to this inspection report should be directed to Dustin Czapla at the Division of Reclamation, Mining <br />and Safety, Grand Junction Field Office, 101 South 3rd Street, Room 301, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501, <br />phone number (970) 243 -6299. <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />