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Response to Preliminary County Comments Received on March 17, 2011 <br />The disposal site will be located in dry, unfractured, fault free underground mined out <br />areas. Upon site characterization, dry stacked tailing disposal (encapsulated) processing <br />unit will be constructed for the following technical and environmental reasons: <br />• Conserves water; <br />• Negligible or no seepage losses from dry stack tails; <br />• Eliminates the need to dispose tailings on the surface <br />• Concerns with tailings water and offsite water quality impacts are mitigated; <br />• Stabilizes the tailings mass.- <br />• Residual processing chemicals will be encapsulated in the tail; <br />• Minimal containment requirements; <br />• Simple water management; <br />• Minimizes groundwater sampling requirements; and, <br />• Minimizes surface reclamation and long term monitoring requirements <br />Adequacy Issue #19 <br />The application indicates the tailings will be dewatered through the use of cyclones. The <br />Division is familiar with the use of cyclones to separate tailings by particle size but not for the <br />purposes of dewatering. Please describe how cyclones will be used to dewater tailings. <br />Response #19 <br />See Response #18 -a vacuum or filter press or suitable alterative will be used to create a dry <br />stack tail cake which will be transferred via conveyor or front end loader to an approved <br />underground disposal site. <br />Adequacy Issue #20 <br />On page four of Exhibit D, the application describes the drill pads as being 100 feet by 100 feet. <br />On page six of Exhibit D, the drill pads are described as being 200 feet by 200 feet. Please <br />clarify. <br />Response #20 <br />Eleven drill pads will be located within the outlined affected areas where each drill pad will <br />be located in a 200 x 200 foot area as outlined in Exhibit D. Each drill pad will be designed <br />with appropriate BMPs (silt fences, wattles, etc.) to control erosion and sedimentation. A <br />level drill pad will be constructed where a portal mud or lined mud pit will be located. <br />Additional areas within the designed drill pad area will be identified and reviewed by <br />DRMS which will identify on a base map the location of drill pipe, water storage, and <br />mud/cement pallet locations (Section 5.3 and Section 5.4). Periodically core from the <br />drilling operation will be removed from the drill site and stored in the warehouse (former <br />Revised <br />4/14/2011 <br />12