2001-01-29_INSPECTION - M1977493

• Permit No: M1977493
• IBM Index Class Name: INSPECTION
• Doc Date: 1/29/2001
• Doc Name: Insp Rpt
• From: DMG
• To: Climax
• Inspection Date: 9/26/2000
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

MINE ID # OR PROSPECTING ID #: M- 1977 -493 PAGE: 6
INSPECTION DATE: 9 -26 -00 INSPECTOR'S INITIALS: ACS
specifies that other out slopes on the dump be graded to 1.5:1 to 2:1. Appendix D
to the 1989 amendment application indicates that 4 -6 inches of topsoil may be applied
to the top surface of the dump. The current bond includes sufficient funds to apply
8070 cubic yards of topsoil (4 inches) from the McNulty stockpile to 15 acres on top
of the dump. The bond also includes sufficient funds to grade the out slopes of the
dump. Most of the west out slope of E -dump has been graded to between 2.5:1 and 3:1.
However, the northern portion of the west facing out slope along the highway has been
graded to a considerably steeper angle due to space constraints. The grading of the
west side of E -dump meets and for the most part exceeds the grading requirements
approved in the reclamation permit.
In the approved permit, Climax commits to making the best use of the topsoil available
for reclamation. The reclamation plan did not envision that this would include
topsoil application to the out slopes of the E -dump. When it was determined that a
viable material for plant growth medium was present beneath the tailing in the Oxide
Pond, Climax salvaged this material and applied it to the west side of the E -dump.
This topsoiling project resulted in several advantages:
• The reclamation potential for the west slope of E -dump was greatly enhanced through
the application of 45,360 cubic yards of topsoil to the slope where no topsoil was
considered under the approved reclamation plan.
• Visual impacts will be lessened along the Highway 91 corridor that flanks the west
side of E -dump.
• Storage capacity in Eagle Park Reservoir was directly increased by the removal of
the long submerged soil from the reservoir footprint.
• The topsoil from the bottom of Eagle Park Reservoir had not been previously
included in the Climax Mine topsoil stockpile inventory, so substantial plant
growth media was beneficially applied to a critical area with no reduction in the
known topsoil reserves.
A number of observations were made and 7 test pits were excavated in the west slope
of E -dump. The following topsoil depths were measured in the pits: 7 ", 10 ", 11 ", 4 ",
5 ", 3.5 ", and 3 -6" (in the same pit). It was also observed that there are a number
of streaks, patches, and swaths within the topsoiled area where the E -dump waste rock
is exposed at the surface. The variability in topsoil thickness is testament to the
difficulty of spreading soil on a rocky and uneven surface. Those areas without
topsoil are much less successful in generating and sustaining vegetation than areas
with even a very thin layer of applied soil. It was clear from the observations on
E -dump that the topsoiling plan approved in the reclamation permit, which specifies
that the available topsoil will be maximized by spreading in thin layers over larger
areas, is the most effective use of the limited topsoil resource.
The following additional observations were made relative to the reclamation on the
west side of E -dump:
• The steep slopes at the north end of the reclaimed area were topsoiled by pushing
soil over the edge of the slope and spreading it through the use of a clod buster.
This is an apparatus that uses weighted chains or cable hanging from a vehicle
operating at the crest of a steep slope to harrow the soil below. This method
employed on the E -dump slopes that are too steep for the safe operation of a
track -type tractor has done a superior job of spreading the soil and greatly
increasing the potential for vegetative success.