2012-09-06_REVISION - M2008070 (21)

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round -trips per day, all in passenger vehicles, as well as initial mobilization of equipment, which is already largely completed. After the pit is operational, permanent work crew will decrease to four men —three operating pit equipment and one running the scale. However, heavy truck traffic will increase during operations as haul trucks take product from the WRC pit and deliver it to work sites. It is anticipated the vast majority of deliveries will take place in the Piceance Basin gas fields and for reconstruction of RBCR 5 itself. All of this expected traffic will be on RBCR 5. With peak deliveries expected from April through October, an increase in heavy truck traffic up to 65 roundtrips /day is expected. During the slower construction periods from November through March, as few as 10 roundtrips /day is expected, though it would likely average about 42 roundtrips /day throughout the year. This is a negligible increase in traffic when compared with the unregulated increase in natural -gas exploration and production activities in the Piceance Basin over the past 5 years. The number of roundtrips /day is highly variable depending on demand for product in the Piceance Basin. Given increased drilling activity in the area and Rio Blanco County's desire to upgrade RBCR 5, it would appear significant demand for product is assured over the next 2 -4 years, all of which will be along RBCR 5. Heavy truck traffic may largely be offset by the closure of the existing Connell pit, though overlapping production timeframes will make traffic impacts cumulative over the next 1 -6 years. However, since foreseeable demand for the resource is almost entirely in the Piceance Basin, the location of this pit in such close proximity to the end -use areas may actually decrease heavy truck traffic on Hwy 64. Passenger vehicle traffic increases are negligible given the low staffing requirements of the WRC pit, and certainly pales in comparison to the cumulative impacts of the numerous gas drilling companies entering the Piceance Basin and numerous support industries that follow them. Mitigation: Though traffic may eventually be largely offset by the closure of the adjacent Connell pit, the following items could be implemented to further reduce traffic impacts during the period of overlapping operations. RBC has final authority over which, if any, stipulations shall be adopted. The following list contains potential mitigating solutions specific to traffic concerns, though some may conflict with other RBC desires, such as operating the pit during daylight- hours -only to avoid wildlife impacts: ❑ Begin and end daily pit operations after the average workday to the extent possible (i.e. avoid heavy trucks entering RBCR 5 until after peak traffic periods of 6:15 -7:15 am and 4:15 -5:15 pm as indicated in the Williams Midstream traffic study). ❑ Require the use of large, belly -dump trucks to decrease volume of truck traffic for the same amount of material hauling. ❑ Comply with county and state weight restrictions and limits Environmental Solutions, Inc. Page 23 of 30 March 09