Laserfiche WebLink
Trapper Mining Inc., TR -115 Page 16 <br />4.05.3(1) <br />Table 4.8-3 provides the diversion ditch sizing requirements. The following diversion <br />ditches do not include all of the sizing information: East Middle Flume A98-3 and East <br />Flume. This table will need to be updated to provide sizing information for these <br />diversion ditches. <br />Trapper Response: A full response to this comment will be provided with a forthcoming <br />Technical Revision including any new updates to the surface watersheds of the site. The table <br />needs further updates, including removing diversion ditches pertaining to Phase III areas. East <br />Flume diversion ditch has never been constructed thus no designs have been generated for it. <br />4.05.4(1) <br />The ephemeral drainages at the mine are reconstructed through the reclamation <br />process and their design is being updated with PR -07. If a proposed decision for PR -07 is <br />not issued by August 28, 2015, TMI will need to update this drainage design with <br />another revision. <br />Trapper Response: Proposed approval of'PR-07 was issued August 31, 2015 and has achieved <br />final approval. <br />4.25 Prime Farmland In the Trapper permit, Section 2.6 Part 2 page 2-344, is a letter from the <br />USDA Soil Conservation Service dated February 21, 1980. The letter concludes that prime <br />farmlands do not exist within the Trapper permit area because of a short growing season, lack of <br />natural precipitation and no irrigation or sub -irrigation. This letter was written in 1980 and the <br />Trapper Mine has expanded its permit boundary since that time. It is unclear from the permit if <br />another prime farmland determination has been completed. A Web Soil Survey <br />(websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov) was conducted by the Division to verify if soil types that could <br />be considered prime farmland exist at the Trapper Mine. The current permit boundary shapefile <br />was used in the Web Soil Survey to create an area of interest (AOI) which describes the soil types <br />within the permit boundary. One soil type was identified as having the possibility of being prime <br />farmland if irrigated. The soil is map unit symbol 10, battlement fine sandy loam with 0 to 3% <br />slopes. This soil type exists in two locations within the Trapper Permit for a combined area of <br />17.8 acres. <br />Please update the prime farmland determination and include a discussion about the two <br />areas of battlement fine sandy load with 0 to 3% slopes that are found within the permit <br />area. <br />Trapper Response: During Trapper's initial soil survey work the areas referenced above were not <br />surveyed. These two parcels lie in areas that historically were not intended to be disturbed, nor <br />will they be disturbed in the future. These two parcels are also insignificant in size and location <br />to be effectively irrigated and utilized as farmland. Each area potentially exhibits slopes greater <br />than 3% and their placement in the landscape may not be entirely accurate to reflect the <br />conditions associated with soil unit 10. In many cases the USGS soil survey is not always <br />applicable when the actual parcel is analyzed. In either case, they will not be disturbed in the <br />future and no changes will be made to the Trapper permit as they are inapplicable. <br />