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WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC SUBJECTS ADDRESSED IN THIS REVISION? <br /> In the process of reviewing Cooley Gravel Company's 1986 plan and comparing it to what Schmidt desires to do <br /> with the mining and reclamation, only a limited number of subjects actually need to be revised. Some of those are <br /> mentioned above but a more concise list of key subjects is contained in the inspection report prepared by Timothy <br /> Cazier subsequent to his inspection of the Fountain Pit on March 15, 2022.Following are those 7 items in that list <br /> with a comment on where a discussion of that can be found. Of course,there are a few other items like <br /> revegetation seed mixtures that will also be modernized as well as things not in this list. <br /> 1)Maximum lengths of near vertical highwall and overburden cut allowed at one time. -See Mining Plan <br /> 2. Typical near vertical highwall height and depth of overburden cut. - See Mining Plan <br /> 3.Maximum disturbed area allowed at one time(for phased bonding operations such as this one). -See Mining <br /> Plan <br /> 4.Disposition of 21-1:1 V vs 3H:1 V reclamation slopes,based on a test plot approach presented as part of the AM-2 <br /> review process. - See Reclamation Plan. (Simply put,3:1 or less steep will be used.) <br /> 5. Disposition of sediment basin backfill areas(these appeared releasable from a revegetation perspective,but is <br /> uncertain from a drainage perspective). - See Reclamation Plan. <br /> 6. Post reclamation drainage as the AM-2 mine plan indicated mining from south to north,whereas current mining <br /> progression is from north to south. - See Mining and Reclamation Plans <br /> 7.Delineation of north end topsoil and overburden stockpile areas that will need to be redisturbed for reclamation <br /> (the 2021 annual report map details this well, but is not part of the approved permit.) -See Reclamation Plan. <br /> Some other concerns. <br /> i. The Cooley Gravel Plan in AM-2 used phasing(major,moderate, and minor disturbance categories and <br /> acreages). Will that continue? See Mining Plan. Short answer is No. <br /> ii. What effect does AM-3 have on the main operation? See Mining Plan. Short answer is None. <br /> iii. Will topsoil stockpile and reclamation seed mixtures remain the same? See both plans. Short answer is <br /> No,all seed mixtures will be changed to some extent,mainly to remove any reference to sweet clover. <br /> Sweet clovers are now considered to be at least a nuisance plant if not a noxious weed. <br /> Finally, the current plans seem to be poorly written and difficult to follow as to how all the various processes go <br /> together to produce a more or less sequential, coordinated process. We are sure that was not the intent. The entire <br /> Mining and Reclamation Plans will be restated in a more"story"like structure that connects processes better so <br /> implementation can be conceptualized in a more systematic fashion. It also contains a lot of background <br /> information regarding various mining and reclamation processes. This can help improve compliance with the plan <br /> as well as better include and integrate the various features that are present in the deposit being mined. And this also <br /> allows a wider audience that just the Division and the Operator to better understand these often complex methods <br /> and processes and why things are done in such specific ways. <br /> -ii- <br />