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,.. <br /> <br />Mr. Michael Long 2 January 21, 1994 <br />Our original permit application was submitted in 1977, <br />although the area had been mined since 1956. The original <br />permit application had an aerial photograph at the beginning <br />of the application showing the existing clay pit and roads. <br />This aerial photograph shows the pre-law affected area, and <br />is inconsistent with the topographical map in the same <br />application. The aerial photograph was, and is, an accurate <br />depiction of the affected area, except that it of course does <br />not show where mining and reclamation has taken place since <br />the original permit application. However, the roads and <br />general boundaries of the pit are the same now as they were <br />at the time of the aerial photograph. The top of the aerial <br />photograph is approximately east, and the east, west and <br />north boundaries of the current pit are identical to the <br />east, west and north boundaries shown in the aerial <br />photograph. The mining plan has not been altered since the <br />original permit application, because the BLM has requested <br />that Summit mine the hill which is in the lower right hand <br />corner of the aerial photograph from the north to south, in <br />order to minimize visibility from the road to the south. <br />The consultant that prepared the topographical map <br />advised Summit at the time that all mining, stockpiling and <br />other activities related to this pit should take place to the <br />west of the westerly road in the "loop", and to stay south of <br />the hill on the north side of the pit area, and all of the <br />mining activities have been confined to that area since 1977. <br />For information purposes, the stock pond shown in the aerial <br />photograph was subsequently filled in with the permission of <br />the BLM and Mr. Chess. <br />The legal description of the affected area in the <br />permit application was designated as 9.9 acres contained in <br />the specific quarter quarter sections involved. The <br />topographical map included was intended to show the existing <br />pit area and then show the sequential mining of the hill in <br />the aerial photograph. <br />The affected area includes both private ownership and <br />federal ownership, and requires some explanation. The <br />affected area straddles the line between the NE1/4 NE1/4 and <br />the NW1/4 NE1/4 of Section 35. The NE1/4 NE1/4, where the <br />problems noted by Mr. Oehler are located, is privately owned <br />by the Gately-Chess family and Summit's original mining <br />operations were under an agreement with the Gately-Chess <br />family. The BLM subsequently resurveyed the area, resulting <br />in an easterly relocation of the boundary line between these <br />two quarter sections, and at that point determined that <br />Summit's mining activity was taking place on the NW1/4 NE1/4 <br />