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<br />Steve Bennett <br />June 13, 2000 <br />Page 5 <br /> <br />there a sequence of mining? How is the material to be removed <br />from the quarry - i.e., by the existing roads in their present <br />condition? In a post-reclamation configuration? Who is <br />responsible for any environmental damage under the community pit <br />designation? Who is responsible for added reclamation <br />responsibilities which may occur as a result of the operations <br />carried out under the community pit designation? Is an <br />additional bond amount to be posted for additional reclamation? <br />If so, by whom? The BLM? <br />It would seem that under the community pit designation, BLM <br />contemplates extraction of materials from the site on an ongoing <br />basis for years to come. If so, this is difficult to reconcile <br />with Pitkin Iron/Mid-Continent Resources carrying out and <br />completing reclamation. Reclamation cannot be done on an area <br />subject to continued further disturbance. <br />Applicable regulatory requirements, and the plan itself, <br />contemplate carrying out backfill, grading and vegetation of <br />disturbed areas only after the completion of mining. For Mid- <br />Continent/Pitkin Iron to complete backfill/grading and seeding, <br />only to have the area redisturbed as material is extracted on an <br />on-going basis for road base or other materials, makes no sense. <br />The result of disturbing our reclaimed area would be an <br />unreclaimed site. <br />Please note that the State regulations for Mined Land <br />Reclamation, require: <br />3.15(9) All backfilling and grading shall be <br />completed as soon as feasible after the <br />minina process. <br />The approved reclamation plan provides, at Sec. II, page 2, <br />1989 amendment, that: <br />"No reclamation can be accomplished prior to <br />cessation of mining because all the areas <br />(haul roads, access roads, fines storage <br />area, processing and production benches) are <br />utilized in the mining process." <br />Also: <br />"Reclamation will be accomplished during the <br />first four or five working seasons following <br />cessation of minina." <br />