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Technical Revision (TR -28) Climax Molybdenum Company <br />Environmental Protection Plan Permit No. M-1977-493 <br />regulatory agencies, notification relative to changes, particularly minor ones, can rapidly become unwieldy <br />for both Climax and the DRMS. Therefore, Climax will handle minor changes in referenced documents <br />and information by maintaining a central Climax Environmental file system for the reclamation plan and <br />associated EPP information and documents. Climax will conduct periodic reviews of the EPP to identify <br />where changes have occurred and where changes may occur during subsequent years. Significant <br />changes to EPP R3 are reflected in this EPP version R4 and submitted to DRMS as TR -28. <br />T-1.1.3 Emergency Response Plan for Designated Chemicals <br />An Emergency Response Plan for designated chemicals is required as a component of the EPP to <br />comply with Sections 34-32-103 (4.9) and 34-32-116.5(5), C.R.S 1984 and Section 8.3 of the Mineral <br />Rules and Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Hard Rock, Metal and <br />Designated Mining Operations (Rules). An Emergency Response Plan for Designated Chemicals at <br />Climax is included as Appendix T -A. Climax also maintains a required Spill Prevention Control and <br />Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan. These documents describe procedures to prevent, control, and mitigate <br />releases of chemicals to the environment and provide supplemental information pertaining to emergency <br />response for designated chemicals. Copies of the SPCC are kept in the Climax Environmental file <br />system. <br />T-1.2 Description of Site <br />Climax is an open pit and former underground mining operation that extracts, crushes, and processes <br />molybdenite ore from the base of Bartlett Mountain and produces concentrate at the adjacent mill site. <br />The final product is molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) concentrate that is transported off site for final <br />processing. <br />The Climax mine, mill, and ancillary facilities are located near the summit of Fremont Pass (elevation <br />11,318 feet) where Colorado State Highway 91 crosses the Continental Divide. The mine is located <br />approximately 12 miles south of 1-70 at Copper Mountain, Colorado and 13 miles north of Leadville, <br />Colorado. The site is located within the headwaters of three drainages on both sides of the Continental <br />Divide and encompasses the upper reaches of the Arkansas River, East Fork of the Eagle River, and <br />Tenmile Creek. Acreage affected by mine and mill operations lie within a contiguous 14,300 acre land <br />block owned by the Climax Molybdenum Company. Site maps and maps of affected acreages are <br />located in Exhibit C of Permit Amendment Application AM -06. The Climax boundary and affected areas <br />also are included on Figure AM -06-T-01. <br />Climax began underground operations in 1918 and operated intermittently until the 1920s when <br />continuous mining and milling commenced. When Climax was originally permitted under the Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Act in 1977, production from the mine was approximately 50,000 tons per day <br />from both underground and open pit operations. The estimated mine life at that time anticipated <br />exhaustion of ore reserves in the year 2015. However, when the world market for molybdenum declined <br />dramatically in the early to mid-1980s, economics forced Climax to curtail mineral production and <br />development substantially. <br />In 1989, the reclamation permit was amended (AM -03) to better reflect the realities of long-term limited <br />production at that time. This amendment addressed the role of Climax as a "swing producer" with limited <br />and declining underground production and the ability to produce from the open pit in the future. <br />Amendment AM -05 (July 2005) briefly discussed business plans for the Climax Molybdenum Company, <br />recognized that the concept of "swing -producer" had become obsolete, and confirmed the active status of <br />the operation. In 2007, Climax Molybdenum Company announced its intent to return Climax to <br />production in 2010. Production would come from the open pit and processing would occur in a new, <br />modern mill facility located adjacent to the pit. Old and obsolete infrastructure would be removed from <br />the site. Demolition of unneeded site structures began in 2006 and continued through 2008. <br />Climax initiated construction of new processing facilities in April 2008. In 2008, due to economic <br />considerations, Climax temporarily slowed these construction activities associated with the restart of <br />mineral extraction and production at Climax. Climax restarted production of MoS2 concentrate in May <br />2012. <br />EPP: Version R4 T-4 August 2018 <br />