2012-04-18_INSPECTION - C1981025 (2)

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April 9, 2012 C- 1981- 025/North Thompson Creek Mine BFB Inspection Topic Summary NOTE: Y= Inspected N =Not Inspected R= Comments Noted V= Violation Issued NA =Not Applicable N - Air Resource Protection R - Roads R - Availability of Records N - Reclamation Success N - Backfill & Grading N - Revegetation N - Excess Spoil and Dev. Waste N - Subsidence N - Explosives N - Slides and Other Damage N - Fish & Wildlife N - Support Facilities On -site R - Hydrologic Balance R - Signs and Markers N - Gen. Compliance With Mine Plan N - Support Facilities Not On -site N - Other N - Special Categories Of Mining N - Processing Waste N - Topsoil COMMENTS INTRODUCTION - This was a complete inspection of the North Thompson Creek Mine conducted by Brock Bowles of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety on April 9, 2012. No representative from MINREC, Inc. was present. Weather conditions were sunny and warm and the ground was dry. AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS — Rule 5.02.4(1): The records were checked in the Records Room at the Garfield County Courthouse in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The following items need to be updated: a) need the 2011 Annual Reclamation Report, b) need the 4th quarter 2011 and the 1st quarter 2012 inspection reports, 3) need the 4th quarter 2011 and the 1st quarter 2012 DMRs and 4) need the 2011 Annual Hydrology Report. See the availability of records form at the end of this inspection report for more detailed information. HYDROLOGIC BALANCE - Rule 4.05 Drainage Control 4.05.1, 4.05.2, 4.05.3; Siltation Structures 4.05.5, 4.05.6; Discharge Structures 4.05.7, 4.05.10; Diversions 4.05.4; Effluent Limits 4.05.2; Ground Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Surface Water Monitoring 4.05.13; Drainage — Acid and Toxic Materials 4.05.8; Impoundments 4.05.6, 4.05.9; Stream Buffer Zones 4.05.18: The water discharge from Portals 91 and 43 was clear (photo 1). The long pond had standing water and appeared to be functioning properly. Ponds T1 and T2 appeared to be working correctly and the berm was stable. The water was directed from Pond T2 to Pond P9 which had about 4 feet of water and was not discharging. Some water was flowing through the open ditch from Pond T2 to Outfall 001. The open ditch was in good condition. At the discharge from Pond T2 to P9, the water flows down the embankment to a channel. The soil at the base of the embankment was saturated. The soil was also saturated along the base of the embankment to the north of this area for 10 -15 feet (photo 2). Please clean out and better define the channel from the T2 discharge to Pond P9 so the soil does not remain saturated which may compromise the integrity of the embankment. At external outfall 001, it appears that water was recently backed up and flowed over the berm toward North Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 0 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 4 Page 2 of 5