2012-05-11_INSPECTION - C1981015

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Site History Mine Site Inspection Mine Name: Fruita No. 1 and 2 Permittee: (bond forfeiture) Permit ID #: C - 1981 - 015 Inspection Date: April 24, 2012 9:00 — 11:45 Weather Conditions: Warm, dry, clear skies Participants: Christine Belka, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) ID# 182 Mike Boulay, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) Dan Mackinnon, OSMRE Spencer Shumate, OSMRE This was a partial oversight inspection conducted in conjunction with a special focus evaluation. The special focus evaluation assessed the Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety's (DRMS) Prevention of Off -Site Impacts on Bond Forfeiture Sites. DRMS has approved a reduced inspection frequency and inspects this reclaimed bond forfeiture site once per quarter. The Fruita No. 1 and 2 permit area is a reclaimed underground mine complex. The Fruita No. 1 Mine opened in 1977, but went into temporary cessation in 1978 due to poor market conditions. The Fruita No. 2 Mine went into operation in 1978, but went into temporary cessation in 1980. In 1983, a fire developed in the Fruita No. 1 Mine entries. In 1984 and 1985, the Fruita No. 1 portal was sealed and the bench area was partially backfilled, topsoiled, and seeded. The Fruita No. 2 mine remained in temporary cessation. In November of 1989, American Shield submitted a reclamation -only permit application. DRMS approved the application but did not issue a permit for those activities. American Shield performed reclamation on the site in 1990 and was granted Phase 1 bond release, reducing the performance bond held from $90,000 to $36,000. Due to American Shield's failure to eliminate all existing highwalls and failure to abate the associated notice of violation, the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board ruled that the remaining bond be forfeited on March 23, 1994. DRMS contractors conducted the initial bond forfeiture maintenance work in early 1996. That work totaled $7,651, leaving $28,349 in the reclamation account held by DRMS. A flash flood occurred in August 1997, which washed out a segment of diversion channel and resulted in extensive deposition of sediment and boulders within the permit area and along the access road. DRMS contractors conducted remedial work in 2000, leaving $2,794 in the account. Minor additional work on pond spillway structures was planned in 2005, but never conducted. DRMS secured an additional $15,000 from OSM civil penalty funds for additional reclamation. Final reclamation was conducted in 2009. Work included sediment pond maintenance (removing the discharge culvert, plugging an underground pipe, lowering the emergency spillway and installing rip rap in the spillway), installing rock check dams along the access road, on the portal bench, and the outslope of the fill, drainage repair and construction, portal repair, construction of a rock apron around the portal