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Exhibit Page 15
<br />be mining in M1990 -025. This land, totaling 42.3 acres, will be removed from M1990 -025 by
<br />amendment, per agreement between Stone Sand & Gravel LLC and Montezuma County. Of
<br />this land, presently 3.9 acres is at final grade but needs soil placed and revegetation (being
<br />used for stockpile /traffic) and 4.5 acres being actively mined, including stockpiles, plant site, and
<br />working areas. A separate report on this is provided at Exhibit S.
<br />Operations
<br />Mining of the permit area will be done by Stone Sand & Gravel LLC.
<br />The entire area may be mined, except for areas which (1) have already been mined, (2) certain
<br />restricted areas (powerline pylons, stock ponds, etc.), (3) buffer zones and areas necessary to
<br />control runoff, and (4) have restrictive terrain, excessive overburden, and /or poor /low material
<br />quality /quantity. Mining will continue adjacent to areas already mined. On the south slope, the
<br />downhill edge of the area to be mined will either be cut into the slope or have an external berm
<br />(doubling as a topsoil and overburden stockpile) with an interior swale. Existing and new
<br />stockponds and other sediment basins along the natural drainage, will be
<br />improved /repaired /built as clearing, grubbing, and stripping proceeds, and in advance of mining.
<br />These will reduce visual impact, control storm water runoff, erosion and deposition, and allow
<br />better control of dust and noise.
<br />Mining will be done in blocks, and for planning /estimating purposes, blocks are assumed to
<br />average five acres in size, and generally are about five hundred feet square. Depth will range
<br />from 5 feet of material (plus any soil and overburden, ranging from 0 to 12 feet total), up to 50
<br />feet of material plus overburden. The highwalls are not expected to be over 20 feet in height,
<br />and then only in limited areas. As allowed, mining will daylight to match grade with adjacent
<br />mining operations. On the north permit boundary, the pit floor will be flat, matching Montezuma
<br />County mining and reclamation to the north; on the south slope, the floor of the pit will slope
<br />upwards to the north, similar to the existing terrain, averaging 25 feet lower than before mining.
<br />WAPA Easement
<br />The 125 -foot diameter circular area around the WAPA pylon will not be mined, to prevent any
<br />damage to this structure (located on the landowners' property through an easement granted to
<br />WAPA). Mining in the vicinity will ensure that the road along the easement is usable at all times.
<br />In accordance with landowner requirements, only WAPA is authorized to use the road and
<br />locked gate in the fence to cross into the property to the south. Mining will take place in the rest
<br />of the WAPA easement, under terms of the WAPA license (See Exhibit S).
<br />Seasonal and Other Considerations
<br />Mining will be fairly continuous but limited by seasonal weather conditions. Multiple, separate
<br />work areas, in and outside the mining area, improve winter access for customers, so materials
<br />may be hauled year- round. No livestock grazing is planned for mining areas during operations.
<br />Mining tasks:
<br />1. strip (with loaders, dozers, and scrapers as appropriate) and conserve soil (ranging from 0"
<br />to 6" and assumed to average 3 "), normally move directly to reclaim areas;
<br />2. remove overburden (as needed, same equipment), normally move directly to backfill areas;
<br />3. remove sand and gravel (with loaders, backhoes), and normally move directly to the
<br />processing plant or directly off -site;
<br />4. process (crush, screen, and /or wash sand and gravel using portable, permitted plants),
<br />move to product stockpiles prior to shipping off -site; and
<br />5. use excess fines (from processing) with overburden to backfill the mining area.
<br />Production is expected to average 70,000 tons per year and will not exceed 500,000 tons per
<br />year. Production higher than historical averages may require additional county or state
<br />permitting (air, transportation, etc.) Haul on -site will use four -wheel loaders and rough- terrain
<br />trucks. Processing plants will be located as close to the active working face as possible.
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