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2. Underground Mining <br />As shown on several of the maps in Section C, the Last Chance Mine includes an adit which <br />enters at an elevation of about 6,280 feet and proceeds horizontally to the southeast for about 50 <br />feet where a dry room has been constructed. The mine then begins a decline in the same <br />direction about 400 feet to the main working level at an elevation of about 6,150 feet (about 145 <br />feet below surface). The tunnels are generally about 8 feet high by 9 feet wide and extend <br />another 500 feet to several drifts which follow ore. A primary vent and escapeway is shown on <br />the maps in this vicinity. <br />Map C -lb includes a sketch of the underground workings including an extension into the original <br />workings about 200 feet to the original vent and escapeway which has been reopened. <br />Underground mapping of this old part of the mine is pending, and exploration drilling will <br />determine if the mine is extended in that direction. Potential underground workings are <br />sketched, but actual mining will be dependent upon drilling and the location of mineable ore <br />deposits. Old exploration drilling holes and trails suggest the presence of ore under the proposed <br />drilling locations. Thus mining in the ore - bearing sandstone could continue at depths of about <br />140 to 160 feet below surface, and extend as far as 1,200 feet away from current workings, <br />remaining under the permitted area as shown on the Map C -lb. <br />Current operations include a small underground uranium/vanadium sampling operation with two <br />to four mine workers. Mining is by random room and pillar techniques and conventional <br />explosives. Equipment used in the mine include jackhammer and jackleg drills using <br />compressed air, rubber -tired skid steer loader and a 5 -ton ore buggy haulage unit. Water is <br />hauled to the site using a pick -up in 350 gallon loads. Ore and waste rock are usually "split - <br />shot", then mucked, and separately removed from the mine by an ore buggy which was designed <br />and approved for underground use. <br />Nuvemco estimates being able to mine about 40 tons of ore per day resulting in about two ore <br />haulage trucks per day transporting ore to a mill. Assuming a continued 3:1 waste rock to ore <br />rock ratio, daily production would include 40 tons of ore and 120 tons of waste rock. These <br />production rates can be extrapolated as shown in Table D -1 following. <br />The permit application requests intermittent status operation per Rule 1.13.7 to allow for <br />changing economic circumstances and mill availability. With an estimated five years of <br />operation, 36,000 tons of ore and 108,000 tons of waste rock could be generated. The existing <br />waste rock area is about 1/3 acre in area and will be expanded to about 1 acre. Approximately <br />half of the waste rock will be moved into abandoned sections of the mine and the balance will be <br />3 <br />Tons of Ore <br />Tons of Waste Rock <br />Daily <br />40 <br />120 <br />Weekly <br />200 <br />600 <br />Monthly <br />800 <br />2,400 <br />Annually (9 months /year) <br />7,200 <br />21,600 <br />The permit application requests intermittent status operation per Rule 1.13.7 to allow for <br />changing economic circumstances and mill availability. With an estimated five years of <br />operation, 36,000 tons of ore and 108,000 tons of waste rock could be generated. The existing <br />waste rock area is about 1/3 acre in area and will be expanded to about 1 acre. Approximately <br />half of the waste rock will be moved into abandoned sections of the mine and the balance will be <br />3 <br />