2018-02-15_PERMIT FILE - M2017036 (3)

Home Browse Search

To: Jared Ebert Date: February 14, 2018 Page 2 Openings with clumps of evergreen trees will be placed in the six-foot berms along the west side of the property to allow for passage of wildlife between neighboring properties. The maximum slope of 3:1 ensures grazing animals can easily traverse the reclaimed slopes. The three-foot-high MSHA safety berms that will be placed around the perimeter of all open mining cells will also serve as safety berms for larger wildlife in the area, preventing any unintended falls into the cells. There will be access roads used for mining equipment to access the bottom of the mining cells that can be used by wildlife to exit should they inadvertently end up in the bottom of a mining cell. Unlike residential neighborhoods, at the end of business all employees go home. The entrance gates are locked, and the site is left quiet and unattended for the night and weekends. This provides wildlife the undisturbed opportunity to access open areas within the site. The perimeter berms and plantings, along with remaining mature trees around the perimeter will also provide a buffer between residences and traffic and wildlife accessing reclaimed pasture areas. The site will be posted with a 10-mph maximum speed limit that will help prevent any wildlife from being hit by moving vehicles. All running equipment, including the batch plant equipment and aggregate processing plant equipment, will be attended at all times. All air quality and water quality controls in place for public health and safety will inherently protect wildlife. To minimize potential effects to any raptor nests that may be built within perimeter trees during mining, LRM will institute the following measures: The site will be surveyed during August of every year, to insure there are not any nests within 600 feet of the scheduled mining area for the next year. Mining activities that are to take place within 400 feet of any identified nests will be adjusted to start during the non-nesting season (September through February) so that the birds will be exposed to activity before the nesting season starts. It is assumed that if the level of activity is not acceptable to the birds, they will use an alternate nest site further from the mining activity. Use of conveyors in lieu of hauling material on trucks will minimize any disturbance created by transporting material. The conveyor system is not planned to pass close to any of the perimeter trees. No mining will be allowed within 400 feet of an active raptor nest during nesting season. This plan has proven successful at LRM's other mining sites. Response to DRMS Adequacy Review 3 comments T E L E S T O