Laserfiche WebLink
September 1, 2010 C- 1981- 008/New Horizon Mine MLT <br />• A small pool of water was present at the western end of Pond 013 (Photo 4). Inslopes were stable and <br />well- vegetated, and the emergency spillway had been cleared. <br />GENERAL MINE PLAN COMPLANCE: <br />• The former Johnson home located on the northwestern WFC parcel had been demolished. Due to the <br />presence of asbestos in the structure, a specialized contractor had been retained to perform the work. <br />ROADS — Rule 4.03 <br />Construction 4.03.1(3)/4.03.2(3); Drainage 4.03.1(4)/4.03.2(4); Surfacing and Maintenance 4.03.1(5) and <br />(6)/4.03.2(5) and (6); Reclamation 4.03.1(7)/4.03.2(7): <br />• A road construction crew contracted by WFC was working on the eastern tie -in to 5th Street Road. <br />The road, which traverses the permit area from the WFC offices westward past Pond 007, will be <br />opened to public travel at some point in the future. <br />REVEGETATION — Rule 4.15 <br />Vegetative Cover; Timing: <br />• Hay on the reclaimed Burbridge parcel was windrowed on the ground, but not yet baled. This was <br />the second cutting of the season. <br />• A large species of grass was well- established near and below the water line at Pond 008 (Photo 5). <br />The reclaimed north - facing slopes of the Benson and Lloyd properties west of 2700 Road appear to <br />be well- vegetated and stable, with established grasses and four -wing saltbush (Photo 6). <br />SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF MINING — Rules 4.22 through 4.27:. <br />Prime Farmland — Rule 4.25 <br />• Stockpiled Lift A and Lift B topsoil was hydro- seeded and - mulched earlier in the year. The crust <br />formed with the application appears to have remained more or less intact, but the seeding does not <br />appear to have been successful. What vegetation cover has developed consists mainly of annual <br />weeds such as Russian thistle and kochia. <br />The PR -06 review process is nearing completion, and WFC has requested permission to resume Lift <br />A and Lift B prime farmland topsoil salvage and stockpiling operations on the Morgan property in <br />advance of the next cut. We inspected the site of the proposed activity, and Mr. Gubka described the <br />proposed operation. Following the most recent Lift A salvage operation, a N -S fence line was <br />installed approximately 30 feet beyond (west of) the salvage limit (Photo 7). The fencing serves to <br />provide a physical barrier between the portion of the field made available for the Morgans to farm <br />(located west of the fence) and the pit operations to the east. With the next phase, WFC proposes to <br />relocate the fence line a distance of 115 feet west of its current location. A strip of Lift A topsoil 115 <br />feet in width will then be salvaged, retaining a 30 -foot buffer of undisturbed topsoil behind the fence <br />line. In a similar manner, a 115- foot -wide strip of Lift B topsoil would be salvaged. WFC will <br />continue stockpile Lift A and Lift B topsoil separately, behind the pit, on Morgan property. No <br />redistribution of topsoil will be undertaken prior to Division approval of the reclamation plan <br />proposed with PR -06. <br />TOPSOIL — Rule 4.06 <br />Removal 4.06.2; Substitute Materials 4.06.4(4); Storage and Protection 4.06.3; Redistribution 4.06.4: <br />• Mixed topsoil has been dumped in a long, North -South trending windrow on the Lloyd (or WFC) <br />parcel. The resource was protected from erosional loss along the western length of the pile by the <br />establishment of a containment ditch and berm (Photo 8). <br />Number of Partial Inspection this Fiscal Year: 2 <br />Number of Complete Inspections this Fiscal Year: 1 Page 3 of 10 <br />