2013-06-05_PERMIT FILE - M2012052 (4)

Home Browse Search

EXHIBIT T DESIGNATED MINE OPERATION ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN The affected lands have no surface water present, nor is groundwater present in the existing mine, nor in areas that are anticipated to be mined in the future. Testing of the country rock within the mine finds it to be below action levels for all eight Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals. The country rock, exposed within the accessible portions of the mine have been found to low concentrations of iron sulfide with some buffering capacity. Oxidized vein material is also low in iron sulfide, but the unoxidized vein material has been shown to contain quantities of up to possibly 5 percent. However, this material has been found to contain economic values of gold (ore - grade), thus would be shipped to an offsite mill for beneficiation. The mining plan does not include the use of any extractants or lixiviants to be used on site, nor any other chemicals other than household -type cleaners for doing housekeeping in the offices and containers, along with small quantities of lubricants and fuel for equipment. The quantities of household cleaners could be considered to be de minimus and the quantities of fuels and lubricants would be less that the volume required by the Clean Water Act, for the site to need a formal Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan. Even though a plan is not required, the fuel tank will have secondary containment as will all lubricants, to keep them out of the waters of the U.S. As a result, no baseline, or background water monitoring is necessary since none is present, and there needs to be no testing for chemicals, since the mine uses no significant quantities. All containers containing purchased chemicals are labeled and properly stored on site per Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) standards, and material safety data sheets (MSDS) sheets are maintained for all purchased compounds used thereon. The site procedures require that if a spill should occur, it will be cleaned up and isolated from the environment as quickly as possible. The mine will have persons on site that are trained in first aid, and will have access to local emergency responders and fire department personnel to assist. Since no new significant disturbance has been generated, the majority of any runoff is generated from historic disturbances. However, in order to be good stewards of the land, a series of small stormwater runoff containment structures are maintained along the roadways to catch and temporarily contain precipitation events.