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Ez.xxEAD <br /> A Jo\n<Vant�ata oS 1rt\nlns A.Mlne+vla Ltd.II <br /> and TRaegWta Mlnlit6 Company <br /> May 21, 1998 <br /> Mr. Robert Ernst, Geologist <br /> U.S. Department of the Interior <br /> Bureau of Land Management <br /> Little Snake Resource Area <br /> 455 Emerson Street <br /> Craig, Colorado 81625-1129 <br /> RE: Proposal to Modify the Plan of Operations <br /> Joker Mine, Moffat County, Colorado <br /> Dear Mr. Ernst: <br /> This letter is in response to the BLM letter dated February 20, 1998, and our <br /> recent conversation regarding the current status of the Joker Mine. The BLM has <br /> stated that an Environmental Assessment(EA)will be required to address changes <br /> to the approved 1983 Plan of Operations (POO). As per our conversation, a new <br /> POO is not necessary; however, a modification to the POO will be necessary to <br /> satisfy the BLM requirements. This letter constitutes our formal request to <br /> modify the POO to allow off-site processing of ore from the Joker Mine. <br /> The proposed modification to the POO is to remove ore from the Joker Mine and <br /> process the ore at a pilot plant near Baggs, Wyoming. The ore will be processed <br /> using a different method than was described in the POO. The ore will be returned <br /> to the Joker Mine and used as backfill in the pits, as described in the POO. <br /> Processing will include passing the run-of-mine ore through a ball mill, vat <br /> leaching the ore, recovering the precious metals, rinsing the tailing material, and <br /> filter pressing the tailing material to remove excess water. <br /> The tailing material was characterized to determine the impact of the tailing <br /> following placement into the pits. Knight Piesold sent a letter dated December <br /> 22, 1997, to the Department of Geology (DMG) and the BLM providing Synthetic <br /> Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) data on the leachate from a sample of <br /> tailing material. The DMG responded with concerns in a letter dated January 9, <br /> 1998. Knight Piesold responded to those concerns in a letter dated January 26, <br /> 1998. Because of the high levels of chloride in the leachate, a more thorough <br /> rinsing process was initiated for the pilot scale process. A second tailing sample, <br /> 310 6.at.MR 'a at..ate.1100,ban Antoailo,Tazu'562063108 010-209-1100 FAX 210-2'A'14941 <br />