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' Response: BMR will prepare and submit an emergency response plan based on the final design of the facility. Such plan will include agency contact and reporting procedures, spill mitigation procedures and general monitoring procedures. This plan will be submitted to the MLRD upon completion. An Emergency Response Plan was developed for the project and submitted 3/15/89. This plan incorporated into the permit application as Appendix P 4/20/89. ' EXHIBIT f - RECLAMATION PLAN The introduction of Exhibit E states that the intended land uses for the affected area are rangeland, open space and wi)d]ife habitat. In general, the proposed post mining configuration would tend to support 1 these beneficial uses. The two areas of concern in regard to those intended uses are the grading of the waste disposal facilities outslopes, as discussed elsewhere, and the final west pit configuration. Based upon the information provided, the 110 acre west pit will be left as a relatively steep depression of which 57 acres will be topsoiled and seeded. It will be necessary for Battle Mountain to demonstrate that the proposed post mining, open pit configuration is one which will meet the inteAt of the proposed reclamation plan. This demonstration must address how the proposed configuration will benefit or improve wildlife habitat and/or grazing of 1 domestic animals. In order to provide for a usefu) post-mining configuration, we would suggest • that, at a minimum, the pit be backfilled to elevation 8600 ft. This configuration, while economically achievable, would provide long-term land form stability and provide the beneficial uses as intended by the proposed rec)amation plan and by the Mined Land Reclamation Act. Response: The San Luis Project Area currently has been overgrazed and is in many places naturally too steep for cattle. The post-mining configuration will improve the grazing areas for cattle and wildlife by providing both flatter grazing areas and better vegetation. A revised pit configuration for the West Pit is shown on Figures C-3 and F-1. These figures show the post mining configuration is one of relatively wide and flat benches separated by a series of 15 foot benches and 15 foot highwalls for an average of 45 feet in height. In all cases access to the flat areas is a;lowed by the use of the reclaimed mine haul roads. These roads will be blocked from vehicular traffic but will allow access by wildlife and cattle. The post mining ecology will be very different from the pre- mining ecology. The cover of the entire area will be significantly improved by the revegetation planned for the flat areas of the pit. In addition, the topographic irregularities will benefit wildlife in the area by providing better habitat cover than the currently existing topography and vegetation. The Division of Wildlife, in the wildlife stat ement recently i