Laserfiche WebLink
Exhibit U <br />Environmental Protection Plan <br />JD -9 Mine Permit Amendment <br />M- 1977 -306 <br />Cotter Corporation N.S.L. (Cotter) is submitting an Environmental Protection Plan to be <br />incorporated in the reclamation permit as it is classified as a Designated Mining <br />Operation (DMO) per DRMS rules and regulations in which all uranium mines are to be <br />classified as a DMO. <br />(1) Introduction <br />The areas determined to have the possibility to impact the surrounding environment by <br />exposing potentially toxic or acid - forming materials are: <br />1. Waste rock pile: Surface water runoff from the waste pile and infiltration of <br />precipitation through the waste material could potentially liberate radium, <br />uranium, and other metals resulting in impacts to groundwater and /or surface <br />water. Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) tests were conducted <br />on representative waste rock samples to determine the waste's potential for <br />leaching radionuclides and metals. The test results, which are presented in <br />Appendix II, indicate that the waste rock has low leaching potential. The activity <br />and concentration levels of all the constituents in the leachate generated from the <br />tests were below maximum state water quality limits. Based on these results, the <br />waste pile was designed in accordance with standard mine methods in which <br />surface runoff is diverted around the waste pile while surface runoff within the <br />pile is directed to a sediment pond. Discharges from the sediment pond will be <br />pumped back into the mine portal where it will be pumped to the Upper Mine <br />Area and treated. The discharge water will be sampled and analyzed periodically <br />to verify that any water being discharged meets state water quality standards <br />under the NPDES permit. The waste rock embankment is discussed in detail in <br />Section 5 of Exhibit D. <br />2. Uranium ore mined from the Salt Wash formation has demonstrated a capacity to <br />generate a leachate. To ensure that the temporary stockpiles of uranium ore will <br />not impact surface or groundwater, the ore pad will be limited to 0.2 acre and a <br />berm will be maintained around the pad that directs all runoff to a small sump. <br />The sump water will be periodically pumped into the mine. There it will combine <br />with water present in the mine and be pumped to the water treatment building on <br />top of Monogram Mesa. The ore pad will be underlaid by 2.0 feet of compacted <br />clay material. Details regarding the construction of the ore pad are presented in <br />the design report, which has been included as Appendix J. The liner is designed <br />to prevent downward migration of leachate that could potentially impact <br />groundwater. At the end of mining, the ore pad sub -grade and liner material will <br />O'Connor Design Group Inc. U - 4 <br />