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Continued. <br />Section 3.3 for static or pseudostatic loading conditions. The potential failure of the spent <br />ore within the PSSA is of greater significance and concern than a potential failure of DCF <br />with no ore stacked above, as a failure of the spent ore could potentially damage the liner <br />system. <br />Due to the uncertainty of the interface shear strength for the composite liner system (as <br />referenced in Section 3.3), a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity <br />of the factor of safety to changes in the interface shear strength. The sensitivity analysis <br />was conducted for Section B with a pool elevation of 9,377.9 feet. The figure below <br />demonstrates an increase of the factor of safety with increasing interface shear strength. <br />However, even for an interface shear strength of 30 degrees, the factor of safety for <br />current conditions is still less than 1.2. An interface shear strength of 30 degrees is likely <br />at the upper limit for the composite liner system. <br />Sensitivity Analysis of Liner Interface Shear <br />Section B, Pool 9,377.9 feet <br />Additional stability analyses were conducted assuming the PSSA to be filled with crushed <br />ore to the elevation 9,378 feet (approximately the current elevation of the pool in the <br />PSSA). These analyses demonstrate that filling the PSSA with ore to buttress the spent <br />ore lift will result in factors of safety greater than the minimum criteria for both static and <br />pseudostatic conditions. <br />4.0 Recommendations and Path Forward <br />Based on the site visit and slope stability evaluation presented in this memorandum, the <br />following recommendations are provided for the path forward: <br />Page 5of7 <br />