2019-06-28_REVISION - M1977004 (11)

Home Browse Search

Homestake Mining Company May 10,2019 Regular(112d)Operation Reclamation Permit Application Package 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Pitch Mine (Mine) is owned and managed by Homestake Mining Company (HMC) as a subsidiary of the Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick). This document, which amends the previously approved reclamation plan (HMC, 1984), was prepared in accordance with Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (CDRMS) 112d regulations governing the reclamation of mined lands and describes reclamation goals and techniques for the Mine and ancillary facilities. The amended reclamation plan includes closure activities as necessary to achieve final site reclamation. The purpose of this document is to present an amended Reclamation Plan for areas not previously reclaimed and to provide guidelines for implementing stabilization and reclamation procedures for the various facilities associated with the Mine (see Exhibit A Map A-01). These guidelines are based on current reclamation technologies and may be modified as actual reclamation data are gathered during field reclamation of individual facilities or reclamation test plots. The Mine is permitted by CDRMS as a 112d-3 permit and is currently comprised of 2,912 acres (Table 2-1 presents a summary of the disturbed, undisturbed, previously reclaimed and amended reclamation plan areas). The Hard Rock and Metals permit category "112d-3" indicates that the site is considered a Designated Mining Operation (DMO), per Rule 1.1(14)) and that its permitted acreage is 100 acres or larger (Rule 1.5.3). Most of the permitted area is within the Gunnison National Forest (managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS)). The USFS-managed land has less disturbance from mining-related activities and lies predominantly in the southern part of the permitted area. The majority of the mining-related disturbance, and nearly all remaining reclamation activities, lie in the northern part of the permitted area, almost exclusively on patented claims and tracts of private land owned by HMC (see Exhibit A Map A-01). The post-mining land uses in the current reclamation plan for the permitted area include recreation, wildlife and grazing. This amendment,which addresses the updated reclamation plans for the predominantly privately (HMC) owned and more mining-affected areas of the site, focuses only on wildlife and grazing for the remainder of the reclamation. The reasons for this are (1) the mining-affected areas are almost exclusively privately-owned by HMC who does not wish for its private lands to be used for recreation, (2) most of the areas not affected by mining activities lie on USFS-managed lands and already possess recreation-compatible attributes, and require no further reclamation, and (3) reclaiming to post-mining land uses of wildlife and grazing is largely compatible with recreation. As required under Rule 3.1, the reclamation plan proposed in this amendment application will include all necessary features to support HMC's intended and desired post-mining land uses. Additionally, the complexity and magnitude of the reclamation to be performed at the Pitch Mine necessitates a phased approach. The time limit set forth under Rule 3.1.3(2) allows up to five years for each reclamation phase to be completed, once the phase is commenced. These phases will be discussed within the priorities and timelines presented in the sections below. EXHIBIT E-RULE 6.4.5(AMENDED RECLAMATION PLAN) Page 1 HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY