2011-11-03_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2010088

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NOV 032011 Division u; rteciamation, Mining and Safety Dear Ms. Repp: United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING Reclamation and Enforcement Western Region Office 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320 Denver, CO 80202 -3050 November 1, 2011 Ms. Pam Repp, Acting Western Colorado Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services - - Western Colorado Office 764 Horizon Drive, Building B Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 -3946 RE: Biological Assessment (BA) Addendum #2 for Fruita Loadout Facility CO - 0026 This is the second addendum to the Biological Assessment for the CAM- Colorado, LLC McClane Canyon Mine Expansion Project and Fruita Loadout Facility submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on September 26, 2011. This addendum provides further clarification for the Fruita Loadout Facility and includes a revised Map 3 with callouts for the various drainages. This addendum does not include any additional clarification for the McClane Canyon Mine; however, a revised Map 2 is included with callouts for the various drainages. Hydrology - Fruita Loadout Facility After review of Map 3 in the BA, FWS had questioned the apparent presence of two tributaries to Reed Wash that would be crossed by the proposed railroad spur. Neither was addressed in the BA because available information indicated they were not tributaries to Reed Wash. ERO Resources Corporation conducted wetland evaluations on the Loadout Facility during 2010. The apparent tributaries were included in the wetland evaluation and were described as swales but were determined to not be wetlands and were not Waters of the United States. The swales are vegetated with wetland and upland plant species but no hydric soils were present. Further, there were no wetland hydrology indicators present, including drainage patterns, and the swales apparently do not convey water to Reed Wash on a daily or seasonal basis. The proposed railroad spur would cross the two swales and culverts have been proposed at each crossing location. J.E. Stover & Associates, Inc. modeled runoff through each culvert during a 100 -year 24 -hour precipitation event of 2.2 inches. Peak runoff volumes through the culverts during the 100 -year event were estimated at 2.19 cfs (west swale culvert) and 3.32 cfs (east swale culvert). Flows through the culverts during 100 -year precipitation events might reach Reed Wash and during such events, overland flows from uplands adjacent to Reed Wash would be expected and any contaminants present on the ground surface, whether Project- related or not, could be flushed into Reed Wash.