Ok so here is the plan...I need to run #4 bare copper wire from the ground buss in the breaker panel directly to two 5/8" ground rods a minimum of 6' apart. ...
Should I leave this ground hooked up as it is or could this cause a problem??? The wire distance is around 20 feet.
I can only speculate why that #10 AWG ground wire exists. Sounds like it even violates code requirements for human safety. Also sounds like, if earthing a surge, then it may induce a surge on other wires. To conduct a surge inside the house. Undesireable.
Should it be removed? I cannot say because important details may be missing. But as described, it even violates code. Best have a professional inspect it.
Rods separated by 8 inches are only one rod. Driving two 8 foot rods only 8 inches apart implies someone with insufficient knolwledge was doing the work.
Again, only implies. I cannot make a recommendation. Can only define what should exist.
The bus bar should connect short to earth as described so that protectors are actually part of a protection system. Routing that #4 ground wire is best when routed to ground rods while separated from other non-grounding wires. With no sharp bends. It could be routed inside plastic conduit. But unnecessary.
Best is to route one uncut wire from the bus bar, through a clamp on the first rod, and terminated to a clamp on the second. One solid copper wire is best.
Some drive those rods into a hole. Then line that hole maybe with a 6" PVC pipe and a cap. So that the bare copper wire clamped to both rods is buried. And so both junctions are easily inspected and protected. Not necesssary, but a better installation.
Also required for human safety is a bare copper ground wire from that breaker box bus bar to where any copper water pipe enters the building. Not sufficient for earthing. Essential for human safety as required by code.
If utilities enter the building at different locations, then best is to reroute those utility wires (ie cable, telephone) to enter and be earthed at the service entrance. A utility also demonstrates a kludge (good, bad, and ugly) solution to defective installation of utliity wires. This outside and buried interconnection also improves earthing:
http://www.duke-energy.com/indiana-business/products/power-quality/tech-tip-08.asp
While discussing this, appreciate that above is only a 'secondary' protection layer. Each protection layer is only defined by what actually does the protection. Also inspect your 'primary' protection layer. A picture demonstrates what to inspect:
http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html