1985-07-15_PERMIT FILE - M1974052

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x` I 10 Mf. David Berry July 15, 1985 Page Seven 5. Fertilizer - We concur with your cost estimate of $50.00. At nearly 200 lbs/acre of available phosphorus and nitrogen, retailers charge $50.00/acre - that includes fertilizer and application. 6. Mulch (Hay) - The average cost is $125.00/acre which includes distribution and crimping. Consultation with reclamation service companies in the Denver metro area indicates the reclamation costs of this application to be acceptable. These are retail prices, not current bid prices or operator costs, which would be much lower. To seed, fertilize and mulch - $300.00 per acre is an easy, accurate number to work with. We will continue to use $50.00 per h6ur at one acre per hour for ripping and scarifying or disci.ng, otherwise seedbed preparation, as the local retailers charge $30.00 to $40.00 per hour at one acre per hour. Rindahl & Associates, Inc. feels the Division's recommended bond amount and reclamation costs are inappropriate for the expense MLRB would incur to reclaim the disturbance. We will continue to use the same costs used and agreed upon by the Division, through all applications submitted by our firm, for the past six months. This is the first time we have seen a topsoil hauling charge included in the reclamation costs. We do not include it because it is actually part of the mining plan. Most operations strip the topsoil on the plant site area and initial mining parcel and stockpile it as close as feasible to the area which will be reclaimed last. This makes the final hauling distance as short as possible. After the initial stockpiling, topsoil removal and distribution proceed on a rotation cycle throughout the mining operation. Topsoil is no longer stockpiled but stripped from the area to be mined and immediately replaced on the tract previously mined. This results in one haul which becomes part of the mining process, not the reclamation process. Topsoil for reclamation of the plant site of this amendment is accounted for in the original Pit #1 permit, as this is where materials processing will take place for Phases I and II. The two acre stockpile area costs are included in case there is minimal stockpiling of topsoil and/or overburden. After it's reclaimed, the bonded costs will suffice for the two acre plant site (alternate) if set up. As stated, it may or may not be incorporated into the mining plan at a later date .