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Pikeview Quarry Environmental Assessment Page 45 <br />and asphalt rock, and about 844,000 tons for road base) from private land that would not <br />otherwise be accessible because of slope instability problems. The production rate would <br />' remain the same and the life of the mine would be extended to 12 years (the last two <br />years would only include reclamation activities). <br />' 4.3.3 Alternative C: Enhanced Reclamation without Layback <br /> Under the enhanced reclamation without Layback alternative, enhanced reclamation <br /> would occur in addition to the base reclamation, and no federal lands would be affected. <br /> This alternative would not allow for the reclamation of steep slopes. Instead, topsoil <br /> would be accumulated on existing slopes to provide relative stabilization. <br />' i <br /> Under this alternat <br />ve, the quarry would have the same limestone production as <br /> under Alternative A. <br />' <br /> 4.4 Physical Environment <br /> In this section, the impacts of the different alternatives on the physical environment <br /> are discussed. It is important to note that the impacts on soils, hydrology and water <br /> quality are interconnected, although they are presented in separate sub-sections. The best <br />' management practices presented in the Hydrology section are thus applicable to all the <br /> above mentioned types of impacts. <br />' 4.4.1 Geology and Soils <br />' 4.4.1.1 Alternative A: No Action <br /> Under Alternative A, geologic landforms and soil conditions would remain as <br /> they aze described in the Affected Environment section of this EA. However, without the <br />' Layback soil losses due to slope wasting, wind and water erosion processes would <br /> continue to occur due to previous mining and to the lack of reclamation works in the site. <br /> As the limestone rock faces continues to slough off the face of the cliffs and steep <br /> cut slopes, reclamation techniques are not effective at stabilizing the slope. Techniques <br /> such as rock staining, camouflage or rock bolting create hazazd during their application, <br /> and are not permanent due to slope wasting. <br /> The neighboring soils on National Forest System lands could eventually be <br /> affected by continued erosion at the western boundary of the quarry. <br /> 4.4.1.2 Alternative B: The Proposed Action <br />' l <br /> Under Alternative B, <br />andforms would be altered in two phases: during the <br /> production phase, granite and limestone extraction would alter the existing slope profile <br /> of the mine, and areas above the mine to the West, on National Forest System lands. No <br />' unique land forms or rock formations would be affected. The grade of cut slopes would <br />' Hydrosphere Resource Consultants, 1002 Walnut Street Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302 <br />1 <br />