2008-04-15_REVISION - M1980244 (309)

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• 5.0 MINING AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN 5.1 Introduction This section describes the Mining and Operations Management Plan for the proposed MLE and the environmental protection measures that accompany those changes. This section follows the requirements of Rule 6.4.4 of the "Mineral Rules and Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Hard Rock, Metal and Designated Mining Operations." The following discussions provide a summary of the disturbances and the areas involved in the proposed mining operations. The information includes the methods for mining and hauling ore and overburden, the size of areas to be worked, and a generalized time schedule for the proposed operations. In many cases, engineering analyses or designs are contained in accompanying appendices and appropriately referenced throughout the text. This section is organized to provide a narrative overview of the proposed mine plan as part of the Cresson Project as currently approved under Amendment No. 8 of Permit M- 1980-244 and presented here for the MLE Project, with specifics about the permit area and areas of disturbance. A projected mine sequencing is included in the discussions below, although it is important to note that the rate of mining is dependent on the actual conditions of ore reserves, the current price of gold, and other operational considerations, such as fuel prices and weather conditions. Details are provided on pre-mining activities of clearing and grubbing, mining operation development including drilling and blasting, mine area stability designs, loading and hauling, crushing and conveying, and overburden handling. The following sections also describe the construction, surface water handling and stability of the overburden storage areas, as well as backfilling operations. Haul road and access road specifications are described for those traffic routes that are not within the mining areas. Most of the activities discussed in Section 5.0 are anticipated to take place prior to 2016, but may vary due to the price of gold, weather conditions, and a myriad of other factors. As such, time frames may vary from those addressed in this document, and the engineering designs contained in this document are based on the best information currently available. 5.2 Overview of the Mine Life Extension Drawing C-4 shows the extent of the mining activities proposed under the MLE while • Drawing C-4a compares the approved disturbance to the new disturbance proposed under Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company Cresson Project Mine Life Extension 5-1