Laserfiche WebLink
MINESITE INSPECTION NARRATIVE 13 <br /> on the face of the fill. <br /> A ditch leading to the CMP location which is about 100 <br /> yards before the approved low-water crossing, has silted to <br /> the point water is running across the road. The ditch is <br /> supposed to carry all runoff to the CMPs, but only some of the <br /> runoff reaches the CMPs. Erosion of the down slope side of <br /> the road is starting in the location where water overflows. <br /> Apparently there was a bridge and CMP at the stream <br /> crossing immediately below the low-water crossing. Forest <br /> Service photographs show this structure in place in 1981, but <br /> not in 1990. Sometime in this time period the bridge washed <br /> out. Since then, the road has existed as a low-water crossing <br /> just up from the old location. The abutment of the bridge, <br /> the remains of the old CMP, and guard rail remain in the old <br /> location. These features should have been removed since this <br /> location is no longer in use. Violation 4 of the TDN <br /> addresses this issue. <br /> The low-water crossing fords a perennial stream. <br /> Under the Colorado program, stream crossings are not allowed <br /> on access or haul roads. The road to Mine #5 is now <br /> classified as a light use road; the only category where stream <br /> crossings are allowed. This is the only access road to Mine <br /> 15 and at one time it was a haul road. Since reclamation of <br /> the Mine #5 area would raise the road category to at least an <br /> access road, and fords of perennial streams are not allowed on <br /> this category of road, Mid-Continent may be required to <br /> reconstruct the bridge to cross the creek. <br /> There are a number of locations on this road that have <br /> not had the cut and fill slopes revegetated. <br /> The Mine #5 road appeared to be in better condition <br /> than the other roads on the mine. The areas that have either <br /> been revegetated or allowed to develop volunteer vegetation <br /> look stable. This road is not as steep and the fill slopes <br /> are not as extensive as the other roads. <br /> In addition to the road violations noted above, the Mine #5 <br /> area also had a number of violations: <br /> The pad area drainage runs in the opposite direction <br /> than what is approved in the mine plan. The pad area fill was <br /> not graded correctly to get the runoff flowing in the right <br /> direction. This has resulted in erosion of the fill slope <br /> where runoff has broken through a berm located along the <br /> outside edge of the fill. <br /> There are two unapproved CMPs at the Mine #5 area. <br /> The first is on the road below the pad fill and the other is <br /> under the storage yard tipple area below the portal pad. The <br /> use of these CMPs has resulted in about 75% of the pad not <br /> passing through the approved pond. Runoff goes through the <br /> storage yard pipe directly into the creek. <br /> The old conveyor portal between the portal pad and the <br /> storage yard was sealed at one time. There is a six-inch pipe <br />