2003-03-11_REVISION - M1977342 - Laserfiche WebLink

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03/11/2003 13:19 9707253303 GRAND CO BUILDING DP PAGE 08 exhaustion If profits were to decline, this could occur sooner than mine exhaustion. When the Company purchased the Henderson Mme and Mill operation, the original 1977 reclamation permit was attached to the purchase. Acloxowledging that there have been profitable end non-profitable years, the approved Reclamation Plan and its financial consequences are a reality and a cost of doing business. With ore extraction comes negative impacts to natural resources (air, water. soil, vegetation). The implementation of post mining reclamation requirements are intended, at their core, to restore natural landscapes and to protect the public and their environments after cessation of miniuog operations. The State bas many old mining sites that were not properly reclaimed or cloned and the em~ironmental and financial impacts to the State and its citizens are immeasurable. EXECUTIVE SUMMARI' The Climax Molybdenum Company, a Subsidiary of Phelps Aodge Corporation (the "Company"), Henderson Mute and Mill has applied for an Amendment to its approved 1977 Reclamatiott Permit, which includes the following: (1) Deletion of Area 23; (2) Change in General Post-Mining Land Use; (3) Change im Poet-Mming Land Use at the Mme Site -Building Retention; and (4) Change in Reclamation Plan and Post-1Vttning Land Use at the Tailings Impoundment, which includes a conceptual alternative, aheraatrve conceptual plan and rationale for the new alternative. Lastly, two (2) technical revisions, TR-04 and TR-12, remain under review by the Colorado Division of Mmerals and Geology. TR 12 is of significant importance to Grand County as it proposes the use of an existing • 17 acre landfill and development of a new 7.5 acre Landfill as part of the Reclamation Plan The nexus of the amendment is merely the desire of the Company to reduce the Financial Warranty as it relates to the required reclamation Financial Warranty is a significant part o£the Company's reclamation as it is an amount sufficient to as~ue completion of reclamation. Nonetheless, reclamation must ensure that all emirotunemal and safety issues are mitigated upon complete cessation of the mine and mill. The reclamation of this mine and mill must not cause environmental impacts or problems for the County or the State as a whole. To that end, the Coumy, local state and federal agencies, and a group of ranchers met with the Company to preseirt our concerns, problems and issues with the proposed amendment and begin to address the issues of reclamation, particularly this proposed amendment. As a result the of the workshop the following identifies the position of Grand Coumy and the Company pertaining to the proposed amendmem: Amendment one (1) considers deletion of Area 23 (Lost Creek Reservoir) from Permit No. M-77-342. The Company and Grand County are in agreement as Amendment one (1) is proposed because this azea has not been affected by mill operations. Amendment two (2) considered a general chartge in post miming land use from "Open Forest" to "Rangeland." The Company has agreed with the County's asses~rieat of Amendmem two (2) and that the trees and ahnsbs stocking rate of Page 7 of 9