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~ ~ Item 5 - Mountain Coal Company plans to protect the hydrologic balance by minimizing sediment disturbance and through the entrapment of sediments disturbed by our activities. Sediment disturbance is minimized by using existing roads [o access the drill sites. Existing trails require little or no surface disturbance along their length to access the drill sites. With the existing trails located in the flatter areas (along the ridge tops or valley bottoms), the need for new disturbance and the possibility of sediment loss is reduced by avoiding areas of steep slopes. Over the majority of the area, no sediment control is needed because the existing vegetation can be left in-place. Likewise by using an existing drill site, only minimal surface disturbance will be necessary to level uneven portions of the site and to construct a mud pit. Salvaged soils will be placed upslope of the drill pad with a sediment trench one foot wide by a half foot deep surrounding the dowmslope portion of the soil stockpile. A similar sediment trench will be placed on the downslope side of the subsoiUrock stockpiles from the slurry (mud) pits. Overland flow of the drill fluids are directed into the slurry pit as is most precipitation run off. Because the existing vegetation is to remain over much of the drill site, soil erosion with precipitation runoff is negligible. The drill pad is expected to be reclaimed within t\vo weeks of construction. Where new road construction is locally required to access Site R, the topsoil will be windrowed or stockpiled adjacently upslope to the disturbance, to allow quick redistribution and seeding over the disturbance area. The relocation distance of the topsoil will be kept to a minimum to avoid the mixing with subsoil or introduction into adjacent undisturbed areas. Where roadwork is required to widen or level the roadway, the amount of material disturbed can be significantly reduced in volume by limiting the soil material removed to only a few inches in depth. This method leaves some topsoil in place while creating an adequate reserve for redistribution, without significantly disturbing the major root systems of the existing grasses and shrubs. In these areas, care will be taken to avoid traveling the roads when wet, causing excessive rutting. Item 6 - MCC had stated on page C-2 that hvo temporary culverts will be installed across the ephemeral Sylvester Gulch drainage, at the point where the existing access leaves the Sylvester Gulch road and begins along the existing trail to the east. Upon further consideration of the specific site, no placement of culverts are believed necessary. The installation of culverts in this ephemeral stream would create more surface disturbance, and thus potential soil erosion and sedimentation, because the fill to cover the culvert(s) at this location would be sizable. PdCC suggests Lhat fording the stream would be significantly less disturbing, as only minimal brushing of the existing trail through this area would be required. Item 7 - Both drilling sites will be accessed along existing roads, as indicated in the Minor Revision. The "new road wnstruction" referenced in paragraph 2 on page C-2, is in reference to the brushing and re- construction along the existine trail, as stated in Paragraph 4 on the same page. No new construction is needed to access Site S. Item 8 - )n the Minor Revision under Reclamation Plan (pg. C-7), it is stated that "the reclamation activities will follow the completion of each hole as closely as possible" and "drill pads and access roads will be reclaimed shortly after completion of the drill hole". On page C-2 it is stated that "temporary roads will be reclaimed upon completion of their use".