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McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment <br />3.52 acres and will be covered by the placement of the new topsoil stockpile and the <br />construction materials stockpile. The new topsoil stockpile will provide storage for <br />approximately 32,000 cubic yards of topsoil salvaged from new disturbed areas as well as <br />topsoil from the existing topsoil stockpile. The new construction materials storage stockpile will <br />provide storage for approximately 90,000 cubic yards of excess soil material. The topsoil <br />stockpile would have a maximum vertical height of 50 feet and 2:1 side slopes. A sedimentation <br />control ditch would be constructed around the perimeter of the topsoil stockpile in order to direct <br />runoff to the sedimentation control ditch and ultimately the proposed sediment pond. The <br />expanded stockpile would cover the existing sediment pond. The stockpile would be stabilized <br />with temporary revegetation methods and would be sprayed to control cheatgrass and other <br />noxious weeds, as necessary. <br />Sediment Pond. The proposed 1.64 acres sediment pond would be capable of containing the <br />run -off from a 10 -year event with a spillwayy system designed to handle the peak flow generated <br />by a 25 -year storm event. Run -off, would be collected from the mine facilities described above, <br />through a series of collection ditches. The sediment pond would be dewatered if it contains <br />water above the maximum allowable containment level, and sediment would be removed from <br />the sediment pond when the sediment level reaches 60 percent of the maximum sediment <br />elevation (5,378.72 feet or 0.7 feet above the bottom of the pond). <br />Haul Road #1 Upgrade. Haul Road #1 would be upgraded to be 20 to 24 feet wide and 3,300 <br />feet long with an earth and rock safety berm or guardrail on the outside slope and a drainage <br />ditch on the inside. Overall disturbance from Haul Road #1 would be approximately 4.42 acres. <br />Traffic on Haul Road #1 would include employees, contractors, vendors, supply vehicles, and <br />visitors, as well as 10- and 18- wheel haul trucks used to transport clean coal to the Loadout <br />Facility near Fruita and coal mine waste to the proposed coal mine waste disposal area. Dust <br />suppressants would be used to control fugitive dust emissions. <br />Haul Road #2. Haul Road #2 would be approximately 2,530 feet long with a 24 -foot wide road <br />surface, requiring 4.02 acres of new disturbance. Ten -wheel and /or 35 to 50 ton haul trucks <br />with approximately 17 trips per day would transport coal mine waste from the coal cleaning plant <br />and portal bench area (if necessary) to the coal mine waste disposal area. Dust suppressants <br />would be used to control fugitive dust emissions. Drainage from Haul Road #2 would be routed <br />to the sediment pond. <br />Power Line Reroute. The existing power line operated by Grand Valley Power (GVP) is within <br />the area proposed for the coal mine waste disposal area; therefore, relocation of the GVP power <br />line is necessary. The proposed relocated power line would be approximately 2,640 feet long. <br />Twelve new single -pole wood structures spaced 155 to 285 feet would be required and seven <br />existing structures would be removed. GVP would use existing two -track roads along and near <br />the new right -of -way, so no additional permanent access roads are necessary. <br />Restoration. After McClane Canyon Mine's reserves are depleted, all structures and <br />disturbance associated with the Mine would be reclaimed to the approximate original contour, <br />except for the portal bench area and coal mine waste pile. The portal bench area was disturbed <br />prior to the enactment of SMCRA under the authority of an approved USGS exploration plan <br />and there is no record of pre- mining topography. Estimated slopes of pre- mining topography <br />within the portal bench area are steep (39 to 43 degrees) and reclamation back to those <br />contours would not be stable. Therefore, a variance has been requested to alter topography <br />during reclamation activities. All disturbed areas would be returned to a rangeland and <br />terrestrial wildlife habitat use. It is estimated that reclamation activities would take 4 years to <br />complete. <br />10 <br />