2007-06-29_PERMIT FILE - C1981022A (2)

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!! Section - 2.05.3 • Elk Creek Mine Facilities -See the General Facilities Map, (Map 2.05-MI), and the Facilities / 15etail Maps, (Map reties 2.05-M3x). j A. Elk Creek Canyon Haul Road, Access Road, and ,Light Use Aoad -The Elk Creek Canyon road is a pre-law road extending from the main haul road up Elk Creek Canyon. Expansion of the Ells Creek coat stockpile cut-off direct access to the lower portion of the Elk Creek Canyon road Access was reestablished via the West Valley ~ haul road and a short segment oflight-use road extending from the Cemetery up the west side of Elk Creek Canyon. In conjunction with construction and development II of the Elk Creek Mine this light-use road and the middle portion of the existing Elk ~ Creek Canyon road will be upgraded as a haul mad to access the Elk Creek Mine ~ faalities. The Ells Creek haul road will extend from the point where the West Valley ~ haul road connects with the existing Elk Creek toad ro the lower Elk Creek Mine ~ portal bench. Both the lower and upper postal benches will be open yard areas. The Ells Creek access road will nm between and connect the upper and lower portal ~ benches. At t}te northwest cornu of the upper portal bench, the existing exploration road will be upgraded and utilized as a light-use road to pzavide access ~ for inspection and maintenance of the slope stabilization area. Additional detail on ~ dtese roads are provided 1n Section 2.05.3(3). B. Ells Creek Culvert -Approximately 1,450 feet of the lower portion o£ Elk Greek has beta culverted to minimize coming-related hydrologic impacts and facilitate development of required mine support facilities Fot this portion of tlae Elk Greek ~ channel. OMI will tempozatily culvert two segments totaling approximately 1,600 • ~ feet of Elk Creek in the middle portion of Ells Creek where the upper and lower f portal benches would encroath an the existing stream channel. Stream tuiverting is ~„~~ designed to m+*+++.++>e mining-related impacts and accommodate construction of the ~` ~ required roads and portal benches for the Ells Creek Mine. Additional. details on the ~ culvert installations are provided in Section 2,05.3(4). C. Portal Benches and Roads - In order to provide adequate room for and access to the surface fadlities required fnr rho Elk Creek Mine, an upper and lower portal bench and connecting roads wiU be established in the bottom of Fllr Creek. The portal benches and toad will vary in width from approximately 50 to 220 feet and will extend approximately 2,200 feet along the cangon bottom. Elk Creek will be culverted at two locauons through this area as noted in the previous section. i i ~ Available soil material will be recovered from the carryon bottom prior to initiation ~ of cut and fall activities, Soil depths are expected to vary in the gnyon bottom, with an average soil recovery depth of 12 inches antidpated. OMI will recover aU available recoverable and suitable soils to a maximum depth of 4 feet In addition to soil materials relocared from the existing Elk Creek soil stockpile, all soil material recovered from the Elk Creek Mine fadlities azea will be placed in rho North Elk Creek soil stockpile for future use in reclaiming mine disturbance ueas. I ~~ The approximately 150,000 cubic yards of fill material required for construction of tfte portal benches and roads will be obtained from an upslope slope stabilization area on the west side of Elk Creek Canyon, supplemrnied by material from mine developmrnt in soft-ground (non-coat) materials. 'The upslope slope seabilizaryon • j azea is a shallow surFicial slide which is currently moving downslope at a very slow ~ I rate and rocs out in the Elk Creek Canyon bottom. Slope stabilization plans focus } on removal of material from the upper and central portions of the slide and ~' ~ placement of this material at the toe of the slide as a compacted fill, The proposed ~ surface material removal and fill placement activities will stabilize the existing slide i mass. z . o ~~ ~*~ Z l