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3.2 Portal Face -up and Bench Construction <br />The portal "face -up" area for the new decline will be made in the Creede Formation rock. RGS <br />will use a sequenced procedure to prepare the site before the actual decline work can begin. The <br />steps are set forth below and illustrated in Figure 2, Proposed Decline Alignment. <br />A bulldozer, working in coordination with a front -end loader, will remove the loose rock <br />material at the entry site, and this action will start the 9400 portal pad bench. Some blasting may <br />be required to establish the rock "face -up" area in which to start the decline. If blasting is <br />required, it will be conducted in daylight hours, and RGS will employ appropriate safety <br />precautions. <br />• Soil nails (and/or rock bolts) will be installed into the cut of the face -up area to stabilize <br />and secure the cut slope. As necessary, RGS will use shotcrete as part of the cut slope <br />stabilization. <br />• RGS will construct a steel -set canopy in the exposed area. This canopy will be affixed to <br />the actual cut slope — the site where the decline will begin. It is expected the steel canopy <br />will be 40 -60 feet in length. <br />• RGS will install an appropriate portal gate for security and safety. This structure will <br />conform to the regulations of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and <br />the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS). <br />3.3 Decline Excavation <br />RGS will use conventional underground development techniques to construct the decline: <br />• Drilling <br />• Blasting <br />• Mucking (rock removal) and haulage <br />• Ground support (as necessary) <br />Drilling. RGS will utilize a drill jumbo to drill a pattern of holes on the decline face. The cross <br />sectional dimensions of the decline will be approximately 12 to 13 feet wide by 15 feet high. <br />This will allow use of modern underground trucks (16 - 20 ton capacity), while allowing ample <br />clearance for ventilation tubing to be hung in the upper reach of the decline. Each 8 to 10 foot <br />advance is known to miners as a "round ". <br />Blasting. Once the underground "face area" has been drilled, the holes will be loaded with <br />explosives and blasted. Blasting will be conducted when a round is loaded with explosives and <br />the area is secured. Various types of explosives will be used, with charges being detonated by <br />Page 17 <br />