2012-04-27_INSPECTION - C1996084 (2)

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A pr *125, 2012 C- 1996- 084 /Lorencito Canyon Mine JHB The mine access road is maintained by a third party, gas company contractors. However, the third party may not be aware of DRMS requirement for the design and maintenance of access roads. The operator has inquired about transferring responsibility of the roads to a third party. To enact a transfer of responsibility, NECC would need to submit a technical revision, Rule 4.03.2(6) would need to continue to be met until final bond release, and a letter from the third party accepting responsibility for the maintenance of the access road would be needed before the Division could consider a transfer of responsibility. Although the access road throughout the mine site has been graded and appears to be maintained, there were isolated areas where the road base had been graded too deep leaving inadequate cover over approved culverts. Along the access road to Pond 8, within reclamation parcel W -5, the outslope berm had been graded down, directing runoff off the road. A gully had initiated at this location (south of the gas company culvert). This gully needs to be repaired. Runoff from this feature is directed to a series of sumps, and ultimately Pond 8. Roadside ditches in S -3 and S -4 need clean out of sediment. RECLAMATION SUCCESS - Rule 4.15, Rule 3: The reclaimed areas in general were in good condition with stable vegetation. Grasses were greening up and actively growing at the time of the inspection. Specific slopes continue to exhibit additional erosion, rilling and gully formation and need mitigation to retard the erosion and repair the gullies. Specific slopes identified include: top (flat area) of parcel N -1 North facing slope on parcel N -1 East facing slope E -1 parcel 2 gullies on South facing S -3 parcel. These 2 gullies initiate at the interface from the reclaimed area to the undisturbed area above it. (photo 4) North facing slope of W -6 has several gullies forming South east facing slope of parcels W -5/W -6 previously identified downdrain from parcel W -5 to the pond 8 access road needs rip rap repair. North facing slope South of the pond 8 access road gully in W -4 previously identified East facing slopes in parcel W -1 Gully formed adjacent to pond 6 emergency spillway rip- rapped channel previously identified. slopes in parcel C -1 Bobby Steele indicated that NECC was coordinating with a contractor to conduct repairs during the 2012 summer season. Maintenance and repair of the erosion features on the reclaimed parcels is integral to achieving reclamation success on this site. REVEGETATION — Rule 4.15 ❑ ❑ Vegetative Cover; Timing: The mine site has received spring precipitation, although the mine site was dry at the time of the inspection. Grasses have greened up and were actively growing. Some areas still exhibit thin vegetative cover and are prone Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 7 Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 3 Page 3 of 9