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<br />operation plus containment of the Probable Maximum Precipitation <br />Event ("PMP"). <br />The amendment proposes to operate the tailings facility <br />utilizing a state of the art technique referred to as "managed thin <br />layered deposition". This technique promotes the deposition of <br />thin layers of tailings which are then allowed to dewater and <br />consolidate to a relatively impermeable layer, prior to deposition <br />of subsequent layers of tailings. The result is a higher than <br />average tailings density with very low permeability thereby <br />minimizing the amount of residual water trapped in the tailings. <br />Another advantage of the thin layer deposition technique is that <br />it generates a relatively dense, solid tailings mass thereby <br />creating a surface upon which reclamation can be readily achieved. <br />The final tailings structure resulting from this technique stands <br />in stark contrast with historic tailings deposition tec:nniques in <br />which large pools of water combined with tailings possessing high <br />residual moisture content make ultimate reclamation a more <br />difficult task to achieve. <br />The thin layer deposition technique poses a number of <br />advantages during the operational phase as well. Because of the <br />low tailings permeability achieved by the process, very little <br />residual water remains in the tailings and most is either <br />evaporated or returned to the mill for reuse from the lined <br />collection pond and/or the free water ponds. The relative <br />efficiency of the technique allows for a substantially smaller <br />volume of surface water exposed in the ponds when compared to <br />4 <br />