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Upon location and identification of noxious weed infestations, MCC will employ one or more of <br />the following categories of treatment; physical, chemical, and biological. A specific treatment will <br />be employed based on the noxious weed species encountered. <br />Physical control methods may include removal of infestations through mowing, cutting or digging <br />individual plants, discing, harrowing, or plowing an area, or through use of controlled burning. <br />Chemical methods of treatment may include application of herbicides or defoliants to kill noxious <br />weeds. Chemical treatment will be conducted under regulated conditions by qualified individuals. <br />Selection of chemicals to be used will be based on recommendations of the Natural Resources <br />Conservation Service, USDA, CSU Agricultural Extension, or other land management agency. <br />Chemicals, if stored at the mine site, will be stored in compliance with applicable regulations. In <br />areas where there is direct drainage to public waters, methods other than chemical application will <br />be employed to control noxious weeds. <br />Biological treatment methods may include introduction of insects or other biologic vectors to <br />control noxious weeds through parasitism or predation. MCC has already cooperated with the <br />Colorado Department of Agriculture in a release of Trichosirocalus horridus flies to control <br />Russian and Bull Thistle in the mine facilities area and Sylvester Gulch. <br />If there is insufficient vegetation to control erosion after treatment to control noxious weeds, the <br />treatment area will be reseeded with the approved seed mix and mulched. <br />rSite-Snecirc Reclamation Procedures <br />Surface Facilities Sites <br />Efforts are made to minimize surface disturbance during construction. All suitable seedbed quality <br />soil is removed from affected areas and stockpiled for reuse. Portions of the stockpiled material are <br />replaced on areas around buildings and other facilities after construction is completed. The <br />remaining material is stockpiled for the life of the surface facilities site. Stockpiles have been <br />vegetated with the permanent seed mix for erosion control purposes. <br />As mentioned previously, it was necessary to remove oakbrush and other brush from around the <br />substations, and portal areas to reduce the fire hazard. Certain areas were seeded with the <br />permanent seed mixture. However, in accordance with MSHA regulations, the areas around the <br />fans, powder magazines, substations, and portals were not revegetated. <br />Reclamation of the surface facilities area following construction involves filling, grading, <br />scarifying, and topsoiling. MCC has installed a number of structures over the life of its operations <br />to stabilize the landslide at the main mine site facilities. These structures include, but are not <br />limited to, bin walls, a roller compacted concrete (RCC) buttress, rock buttresses, other retaining <br />structures, stone columns, horizontal drains, and micro -piles. Most of these structures will remain <br />for the life of the mine, to maintain stability of the site upon final reclemation. Retaining structures <br />may be reduced to grade and then backfilled. Details of these structures are provided in Exhibit <br />14C. As discussed in Exhibit 14C, MCC was successful in preventing catastrophic failure with the <br />2.05-60 Revised Nov. 1996 PR07; Rev. Jan. 1997 TR79; Rev. Sept. 1997 MR 227;Rev. April 2006 PR10 <br />