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6.4.4 Exhibit D <br /> Mining Plan <br /> The Golden Mine is a historic clay mine that has supplied the brick industry <br /> for more than 160 years. Initial mining was underground. Modern day mining, <br /> including the Flintlock Mine to the north, is surface mining only. The current 110 <br /> Permit area encompasses 9.0 acres along the east face of the ridge. This amendment <br /> will increase the permit boundary to include 85.51 acres. Approximately 70.15 acres <br /> will be affected by the mine, overburden and topsoil storage and clay stockpiles. The <br /> remaining 15.36 acres will serve as buffer areas and hogback ridgeline preservation <br /> area. It is included in the affected area boundary in case stabilization or <br /> reconstruction is required. <br /> Geologic Description <br /> The target deposit is siliceous clay lying between layers of steeply sloping <br /> hard sandstone faces on the east side of the Golden Hogback. This clay deposit <br /> contains five different clays. Hogbacks are geologic formations that uplifted and laid <br /> on the side exposing the oldest geologic layers to the west and youngest geologic <br /> layers to the east. The following description commences with the oldest layer and <br /> progresses eastward to the youngest layers. <br /> Cupilo and black silica beds are located in the highwall, the western side of <br /> the hogback. The cupilo is tan sandstone that alternates with layers of black <br /> claystone called black silica. Some of the black silica is plastic meaning when <br /> tempered with water it makes mud and some of the clay is non plastic. The black <br /> silica is the reason the highwall fails or slides. The cupilo becomes pink when fired <br /> and the black silica becomes white when fired during brick manufacturing. <br /> Ripple clay shale is an 18 feet thick layer of dark gray claystone that is non <br /> plastic. Even though it is clay it will not become plastic. This bed fires to a light <br /> gray or white color. This is the bed that was historically and extensively mined <br /> underground. <br /> Rider beds are alternating beds of non-plastic dark gray claystone and light <br /> orange sandstone. These layers cannot be separated into sandstone and claystone <br /> so are mined as one clay material. The overall fired color is pink. Two Brothers clay <br /> is located between the rider beds and a thick bed of sandstone. This clay is plastic <br /> and becomes white during firing. The historic underground operation often made <br /> ventilation shafts in this bed. <br /> A hard bed of white sandstone ranging between five feet and 10 feet thick in the <br /> middle of the mine requires blasting. <br /> Alternating beds ranging in thickness from one to five feet thick are encountered <br /> next in the eastward progression. The beds vary in color including yellow, white, or <br /> orange sandstone with dark gray semi plastic claystone between the sandstone <br /> layers. This sandstone can be separated from the claystone. This clay tends to turn <br /> pink when fired. <br /> Benton clays are the east side of the target deposit. They are dark gray in color <br /> and become more plastic as the one progresses east in the deposit. These clays <br /> start as a tan color during firing then become red and finally a gray color. Passed a <br />