2002-08-26_REVISION - M1983033 (2)

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...• EN,V IRONMENTy.ING. _ ~, .4uoUST-.23, 2gO2 - ' ~ ,, , - r ., - ~ - - PARE 2 as deep-as 60 feet near the scale house and no groundwater was'encountered.- 12. In general I concur with your summary on -the .dimensions of the. two `s lope areas." :I do not agree that the ". opera- for has no immediate plans . for this-area. It is important to remember that this area was looked at by Mr. Gorden Revey and he determined it was stable in its present „ configuration. Clear Creek County has required AFSI, to leave this hill (berm) in place as a visual sight berm. They believed it - would help screen the adjoining area and uses from the-mine and provide a natural. barrier between the highway and the mine-area. .This limits what AFSI can do to-the inside slope of the berm: AFSI understands that they have a responsi,bil- ity to implement the approved reclamation plan.. After re- viewiag your two courses of action to correct this problem, " we feel--that the .second is most practical-for the reasons stated above. Per .your .suggestion we wish to modify the reclainafioh plan for. this area to leave, it as it how exists. We believe that. at 'this time it is the most practical and stable method.-of-reclaiming it. The Division suggested-that - AFSI needed to demonstrate that the highwall crest is safe and that installing benches, fences or bench catchment berms * 'may be' re'quirefl:" Also noted''was.-need'for a toe.berm or catchment basi~h for rocks thaf may come off the face. As part o.f responding--to this question I-went to the site on Friday, August 16th to look at this-area more closely. I have attached a color coded ezc,erpt from, Map Exhibit C (South Berm Slope Map) showing the areas discussed in the following text., There are 3 distinct face areas on this side of the mine: `The areas colored. blue are near vertical faces of slick rock, the yellow colored area is where the - .rock face is sloped approximately-1.6:1 (51.1°) and the green colored area is-where benches exist at .this time. The heavy'red-line is a spall catchment ,basin/berm that is main- taihed in the mine now to catch-any rock that may-come off. the faces. As the floor is lowered these-catch areas will be maintained as part of the 'safety-features used in the mine. .The benches: have a, covering of growth .medium on them and .they also. show heavy use by wildlife. The eastern vertical face area is approximately 9'97 feet long 'and 120 feet-high. The western one is approximately 120 feet brig and B0 feet high. At the top of the eastern :wall is a series of 3 benches on the west and S benches on the_east varying from 20 to 40-feet wide: These, upper ' benches protect the crest of the highwalls. The western ..face, tops out on a ridgline that separates the mine from 'the front face of:.Ehe sight berm. Between the .two faces is `a slick rock area that is approximately 377 feet wide and 240 -feet tall and from on .top, the ,slope length measures 386 ^