Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br />..~- <br />MINING PLAN (5-17-77) <br />~,_._. <br />RECEIVcD <br />MAY ). ~ ty/7 <br />CORTEZ PIT - NIELSONS, INC. R~(;(,r3Fr;gT10N SECTION <br />,. Dap':, of Natural Resources <br />The Cortez Pit is an existing sandstone quarry operation <br />being conducted approximately one hundred feet above McElmo Creek <br />at an elevation of between 5,8G0 and 5,900 feet. Eleven of the <br />sixteen acres shown on the map have been mined with all of the <br />affected area being in a class of major disturbance. <br />The small amount of topsoil and trees existing on the mesa <br />before operations were dozed into small stockpiles along the north <br />and east perimeter of the mined area, The trees that have beep <br />cleared will be burned at the site. <br />The existing pit is excavated approximately twenty ft, below <br />natural grade. New operations have begun to mine another twenty <br />ft, lift starting along the midpoint of the south boundary this lift <br />will be mined in a northwesterly direction and require an additional <br />one to two acres each year. This acreage is not new disturbance, <br />but the same area that was mined during past operations. This <br />current mining will leave the floor of the pit approximately forty <br />ft. below natural grade. <br />The material at the pit is a sandstone with pockets of shale <br />and coal. It is loosened by drilling with an air track and blasting <br />with a combination of dynamite and prills. Blasting is done in a <br />manner to minimize the amount of material that is lost over the <br />edge of the cliff. <br />A bench will be left between the existing level and the new <br />level of mining. This bench will be from five to ten ft, in width, <br />and approximately 1,400 ft, in length along the north and east side <br /> <br />of the pit area. <br />.,. ~ . s~~" _, <br />