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Prince Albert Mine 110(d) Permit Application Exhibit C <br />C (c) Underground Mining Operations <br />The Prince Albert Mine will use traditional small uranium mine underground mining techniques that are <br />typical of Colorado Plateau mining operations in the Salt Wash member of the Morrison Formation. This <br />mining method, the equipment used in the underground operations, and blasting activity associated with <br />the mining operation are described in the following sections. <br />C (c.1) Mining Method <br />The mining method employed for underground operations will be a traditional room - and - pillar method <br />modified to account for the varied height and width of Salt Wash member ores. The general mining cycle <br />consists of — <br />1) Blast holes are drilled into the rock using pneumatic or hydraulic driven drills; <br />2) The blast holes are loaded with explosives and detonated; <br />3) The blasted rock is loaded and hauled out of the mine (mucked and trammed) using rubber -tired <br />or track equipment; and the cycle is repeated. <br />Variations to this methodology include cycling the mining of the ore - bearing zone separate from the <br />waste rock, or sub -ore, to maximize the ore value and minimize the quantity of ore -grade material in the <br />waste rock (known as split- shooting). <br />Underground operations will continue the development work started under P- 2005 -21, with a potential <br />underground development of over 4000 additional feet of eight -foot wide by nine -foot high drift driven <br />along, and into, the ore - bearing zones. Development work will focus on finding and accessing economical <br />ore bodies and excavating horizontal drifts to establish adequate underground ventilation pathways and a <br />suitable secondary escapeway for a potential underground emergency. The current development plan <br />includes driving a development drift towards the southeast to connect with the existing decline tunnel at <br />the inactive "Better Be" mine. One ventilation borehole from the surface may be installed (see Section C <br />(b.5)), if deemed necessary, during development work towards the Better Be. <br />Ore production will occur in conjunction with the ongoing development work. Ore thickness and width <br />varies and the mining height may be up to twelve feet high and over twenty feet wide at times, with waste <br />rock typically produced at two to five times the ore production rate in tons. <br />Rimrock Exploration & Development Page 7 of 39 <br />