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<br />relationship of the final disposition to the water table, indicate how much storage <br />space there is and indic:~te how long, at the proposed mining rate, before the <br />storage area is filled to capacity. <br />Included in this mailing are analytical results (Appendix 2) from the characterization of <br />what MDI is calling waste rock (the rock that is already present on the surface) and the <br />ore from underground. According to the analysis, it appears that the potential to <br />produce toxic or acid mine drainage is very low. In fact, most of the comparison was <br />pertormed against the chronic aquatic standard. The only metals not complying with <br />the chronic aquatic standard were mercury and manganese. Since Gaines Gulch has <br />been classified as agricultural, I tried to determine if these we complying with the <br />agricultural standard. There is no agricultural standard for mercury and the standard for <br />manganese is lower for the agricultural standard than it is for chronic aquatic life. MDI <br />will also store any waste rock generated from the process underground in the slope. <br />There is not a grave concern over storage space. Previous underground mining <br />activities have left ample room underground for storage in the form of slopes, shafts, <br />drifts, adits, etc.. Calculated, this volume is over 1,000,000 ft'. At the proposed mining <br />rate this volume will take 27 years to fill. This does not include the tailings currently in <br />the cyanide heap leach pad however. MDI estimates that there will be about 30,000 ft' <br />of tails from this portion of the process. So, subtracting this volume from the total <br />storage volume, it will still take about 26 years to fill. <br />13. Please indicate, on a profile and plan view map, the mining plan for future <br />underground development. <br />The profile map included as Appendix 4 also contains the mining plan for future <br />underground development. MDI will start on the 65 level and continue east on this level <br />mining past the Neglected shaft, past the incline to the 35 level, until the ore is no <br />longer desirable. MDI will then begin to mine the 85 level in a similar fashion. <br />Phase III <br />14. Based on the proposed production rate for the operation, please commit to a <br />maximum ore stockpile size that can easily be processed each season so that <br />there is no remaining stockpiled ore on the surface during the winters when the <br />operation is idle. <br />MDI's flotation mill will be run intermittently. A small ore stockpile, as indicated on the <br />mine plan map outside the 65 level adit will contain no more than 100 tons of ore. Also, <br />the smaller ore stockpile next to the coarse ore bin will contain approximately 50 tons of <br />ore. These ore piles are of a size that are both easily manageable and easily <br />processed before winter. <br />