Soil replacement and stabilization with either the standard rangeland or pastureland seed mixtures (as
<br />appropriate) in a timely manner following completion of construction activities
<br />Construction -related surface disturbance will be limited to soil removal and windrowing from the pipeline trench
<br />alignments and stockpiling for the borehole pad area, excavation of the trenches and temporary stockpiling of excavated
<br />material adjacent to the trench, minor cut/fill grading to establish the borehole drill -pad, and excavation of temporary
<br />cuttings pits.
<br />Where pipeline disturbance traverses steep slopes, additional staked straw wattles will be placed on -contour to limit
<br />overland flow following revegetation seeding. Drainage and sediment control for the associated minor surface
<br />structures (borehole surface casing and any manhole(s)) will also utilize BMP's including the vegetative filter provided
<br />by temporary vegetative stabilization, and berms and/or wattles, as appropriate. The pad for the 19RT Mine
<br />Dewatering Borehole installation has been designated as a Small Area Exemption (SAE), and the limited drainage from
<br />this small area (0.35 acres) will be controlled by staked straw wattles, and reclamation/stabilization of the pad area
<br />following well installation. Temporary drainage and sediment control measures will remain in-place until vegetation is
<br />sufficiently established to effectively control runoff, erosion, and sediment loss.
<br />As relatively small isolated surface disturbances, the additional disturbance required to construct ditches and
<br />sedimentation ponds to intercept, route, and treat runoff from the dewatering borehole pad, is not warranted. Similarly,
<br />for the associated temporary linear pipeline disturbances, constriction of ditches and ponds to control runoff is
<br />impractical. Runoff from these small disturbance areas will move downslope toward Fish Creek through areas of
<br />extensive natural vegetation, which will supplement the ASC's, effectively serving as a vegetative filter. The proposed
<br />BMP's have proven effective in controlling runoff and sedimentation from similar disturbances. Special design,
<br />construction, and operational measures have been incorporated in the design plans to assure that there will be no
<br />discharge or mixing of mine water with surface drainage. Following installation of appropriate ASC's for each portion
<br />of the project disturbance, available soil materials will be bladed from any new disturbance areas and temporarily
<br />windrowed or stockpiled on the upgradient edge of these disturbance areas. For pipeline trench areas, consideration of
<br />soil horizon segregation must be balanced with the objective of limiting overall surface disturbance. In the interest of
<br />minimizing overall surface disturbance, TC proposes to not segregate and separately stockpile individual soil horizons
<br />for the pipeline trench disturbance, and submits that this approach will not significantly alter soil suitability
<br />characteristics, since the differences between the soil horizons is not significant over the areas to be affected by
<br />trenching. For the borehole drill -pad, individual soil horizons will be segregated, if present.
<br />Soil materials will be replaced following completion of pipeline installation. Reseeding of the disturbed areas will
<br />be completed during the first appropriate planting period following soil material replacement. When no longer
<br />needed to support ongoing or future mining and related operations, the thickener underflow borehole will reclaimed
<br />by removing the surface manhole structure, plugging and sealing the borehole, consistent with State Engineer
<br />requirements; cutting -off the casing below ground level, and placing a permanent marker; then regrading, replacing
<br />soil materials, and reseeding the associated disturbance areas. Pipelines will be abandoned in-place, with the ends
<br />of the pipelines cut-off and capped below grade.
<br />15LT Ventilation Shaft (TRI1-77) - As a limited, temporary, surface disturbance, construction of the 15LT
<br />Ventilation Shaft will have minimal impacts on surface water hydrology, relative to runoff and sediment contributions.
<br />The short light -use road will be in a relatively flat upland area, and will be surfaced with gravel to control runoff and
<br />erosion. A designed culvert will pass any drainage from the existing natural drainage on the west side, under the light -
<br />use road. Upland drainage above the pad will be intercepted by designed diversion ditches and routed around the pad,
<br />discharging into existing short natural feeder drainages to Fish Creek. The pad will be sloped to drain to the cuttings
<br />pit, which has been sized to provide sufficient excess capacity to contain drainage flows, and the pad surface will be
<br />graveled to control runoff and erosion. Drainage from the pad outslopes will be controlled by stabilizing these areas
<br />with the temporary revegetation seed mix, and by an ASC consisting of a downslope interceptor ditch and rock -lined
<br />sediment trap. As a very limited disturbance area (approximately 2.3 acres) the road and pad disturbance areas meet the
<br />applicable criteria for a Small Area Exemption, the proposed drainage control measures should be effective in
<br />controlling runoff and sedimentation, and construction of frill -scale drainage and sediment control structures is neither
<br />needed nor justified.
<br />16LT Utility Borehole (TRI 1-78) — The 16LT Utility Borehole installation has been designed and will be constructed
<br />to minimize and control runoff and sediment. The associated light -use road is located primarily in upland areas. Where
<br />it traverses minor ephemeral drainages, designed culverts will be installed to pass the drainage under the road. In
<br />TR17-87 2.05-84.9 03/14/17
<br />
|