2011-09-19_REVISION - M1982155 (17)

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expected on the amendment area, that is, a fairly deep gravel deposit that abruptly ends on the north side and found under fairly thick overburden. Much of the Fort Carson pit has either been reclaimed or is being reclaimed. It does not appear that this pit was operated recently. Mine Phasing Due to the small size of the amendment parcel, mining will not be subdivided into phases or areas. However, two separate options are included in the Mining Plan (see Exhibit C -4, Pre - Mining and Mining Plan Map — Option 1 and Exhibit C -5, Pre - Mining and Mining Plan Map — Option 2). At this point, Charter Oak Ranch Road separates the proposed amendment area from the existing Fountain Pit permit area. The property and minable material beneath the road are owned by Edward C. Levy Company, the parent company of Schmidt Construction Company. There is no recorded easement or right -of -way for the road. The road is currently, and has historically been, used by residents living south of the Fountain Pit and proposed amendment area. Prior to mining, or as the amendment area is being mined, it is possible that Schmidt Construction Company will purchase the properties that require use of Charter Oaks Ranch Road for access. If the land purchase occurs and the section of Charter Oaks Ranch Road between the amendment area and the existing pit is no longer needed for residence access, mining will continue through the road and connect the amendment area and existing mine area (Option 2). If the property purchase does not occur and Charter Oaks Ranch Road is still needed for access, the amendment area will be mined as a separate pit from the current mine area and the road will remain (Option 1). In general, there will not be a distinctive direction of mining for either mining option. Mining will likely consist of opening a pit in the proposed amendment area and expanding the pit until the gravel ends, a property line or setback is reached, or other factors prevent further mining. As the southern portions of the pit are mined, drainage connections to the valley floor will be established. It is anticipated that mining and reclaiming the proposed amendment area will take approximately three to five years. The rate of mining and overall life of the operation is dependent on several factors including product demand. However, once mining on the amendment area is initiated, mining will continue until the mining and reclamation plans are complete. Even though the proposed amendment area is a comparatively small site, integration of mining and reclamation is still applicable. In general, as the pit reaches its maximum depth and edges are completed, they will be backfilled and reclaimed. In areas where the final pit depth has been achieved and operations are no longer present, backfilling and reclamation of pit walls will extend onto the floor. The contouring of the pit with the valley floor will probably be one of the last steps in the mining and reclamation. The contour blending will avoid steep transitions and create a topography that produces a smooth, relatively low velocity flow from the mined area to the adjacent valley floor. Drainage courses will be incorporated into this transition so as to connect the pit floor with existing shallow drainage swales in the adjacent valley. Fountain Pit M -1982 -155 DRMS 112 Permit Amendment Page 6