2016-10-21_PERMIT FILE - M2016009 (9)

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6.4.4 Exhibit D Mining Plan The Pueblo County Aggregate Project proposes mining the mesa tops of the formations known as Badger Hills in eastern Pueblo County. The site is located south of Olson Road and east of 40th Lane. The target reserve is the Cascajo gravel terrace that ranges in thickness from 10 to 15 feet. Gravel will be mined 10 to 15 feet deep to shale or clay loam, the anticipated stratum immediately beneath the material to be mined. Topsoil and overburden is minimal .with prominent gravel outcrops. The primary commodity is gravel with fines as a secondary commodity. The life of Pueblo County Aggregate Project is market driven. The life of the operation is 20 years or five years per phase. Approximately 20 acres will be mined each year. Fremont requests phased bonding of the affected area. The bond for Phase 1 will include the 35 acres for processing and stockpile area, 78 acres of mine area, and 64 acres of internal and external haul roads for a total of approximately 177 acres. The mine will have two haul roads both on private property to minimize potential interruptions to the community and agricultural industry in the area. The southwest haul road will access the southwest corner of the mine permit area and extend west to 36th Lane, a Pueblo County commercial vehicle corridor (Amended Pueblo Area 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan, pg 2-13, 2010), crossing private property and CO State Land Board parcels. The north haul road will access the northeast corner of the permit area, crossing the Bessemer irrigation ditch and extend north to CO Hwy 50. The irrigation ditch crossing structure design is included in Exhibit N as an application to Bessemer Irrigating Ditch Company submitted July 12, 2016. The proposed improved structure will not restrict current water capacity or function of the ditch. The distance from the bottom of the crossing decking and the surface of the water during irrigating season is approximately five ft. Fremont insures water flow, ditch capacity and ditch function will not be interrupted during installation. The proposed haul road construction is included in this exhibit. Preliminary southwest haul road construction will include salvaging approximately four to six inches of topsoil, whichever is greatest, using a grader. This topsoil will be shaped into a roadside berm, similar to a wind row, on the downgradient side of the road. The berm will be compacted and armored on the upgradient face. Drainage outlets will be incorporated into the berm using gravel and straw filtration BMPs. This will allow the filtered drainage from adjacent undisturbed lands and the haul road to flow onto the arid ground. The north haul road currently exists as a farm road for approximately 7300 feet from Hwy 50 southward. This road will be improved to a standard represented in the typical haul road diagram without removing topsoil. The portion of the north haul road crossing the currently cultivated land commencing north of Olson Road will commence with salvaging approximately 12 inches of topsoil. The topsoil will be stockpiled in a roadside berm and compacted. The mine will develop in four (4) phases each encompassing one Cascajo gravel mesa. Each phase will be bonded prior to commencement of mining. To protect the view shed of the neighbors to the west and north, Fremont is proposing a View Shed Buffer Area between the west and north faces of the mesa and the permit 5 Revised October 18, 2016