2013-05-10_REVISION - M1977193 (3)

Home Browse Search

EXHIBIT E Reclamation Plan — Revised May 2013 (1) In preparing the Reclamation Plan, the Operator /Applicant should be specific in terms of addressing such items as final grading (including drainage), seeding, fertilizing, revegetation (trees, shrubs, etc.), and topsoiling. Operators /Applicants are encouraged to allow flexibility in their plans by committing themselves to ranges of numbers (e.g., 6 " -12" of topsoil) rather than specific figures. (2) The Reclamation Plan shall include provisions for, or satisfactory explanation of, all general requirements for the type of reclamation proposed to be implemented by the Operator /Applicant. Reclamation shall be required on all the affected land. The Reclamation Plans shall include: (a) A description of the type(s) of reclamation the Operator /Applicant proposes to achieve in the reclamation of the affected land, why each was chosen, the amount of acreage accorded to each, and a general discussion of methods of reclamation as related to the mechanics of earthmoving; The reclamation plan will be presented in three basic sections, each which address certain site aspects in order to attain the long range goals of reclamation including: 1. A geotechnically stable high wall configuration and surface grading plan which addresses the control of storm water flows, erosion potentials, and sediment controls which will operate in perpetuity with low maintenance. 2. A site which will blend into neighboring land use as much as possible with final grading features which will protect neighboring land areas by way of diversion and detention of storm flows away from the Tunnel Drive area and direct drainage into the Arkansas River. A stable, self - sustaining, native vegetative mode, where appropriate, which will support wildlife use and rangeland use with a minimum of maintenance demand. FINAL HIGHWALL DESIGN (typical cross section drawing included) Compositional banding and zonal planes of migmatitic and metamorphic planes strike generally North - South, dipping in a generally Eastern attitude at high angles (75 degrees or more). This orientation has resulted in numerous naturally occurring rock faces in the immediate area that approximate a 0.25:1 slope. These natural faces are found to be in excess of 80 feet in some cases. Mining over the past twenty years in the granite area has shown that 0.25:1 slopes in this material are stable. The 1985 amendment was approved with such highwall design parameters, but called for top soiling of the highwall benches and revegetation of the benches with trees, shrubs, and grasses. The 1997 approved reclamation plan elected to forego revegetation efforts along the highwall benches for a number of reasons listed below. Revegetation is not planned for mine benches. The BLM has acknowledged this from the inception of the mineral lease process and has been requested to send written correspondence to DRMS to that regard. Re- vegetation efforts, however, will be employed on BLM lands along the pit floors at the base of the highwall development. Final highwall configuration utilizing 40' vertical height and 30' of mine bench width is proposed which will result in an overall final slope of 1:1. a) The total area of highwall benches is a relatively small acreage compared to the rest of the site. Low moisture conditions, lack of irrigation potential for seedling installation, and low plant densities over the site in general will result in a net environmental liability due to topsoil loss from the mining benches prior to vegetative stabilization of the top soiled