2013-04-10_PERMIT FILE - C1981019 (82)

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RULE 2 PERMITS Columbian Sharp -Tail Grouse: - Mitigation efforts identified for Greater Sage Grouse will also benefit Columbian Sharp - Tail Grouse. No specific mitigation efforts have been requested by CDOW beyond the efforts to be undertaken for Greater Sage Grouse, Mule Deer and Elk. Mule Deer and Elk: - Colowyo will incorporate CDOW recommended guidance for wildlife friendly fencing when construcing new fences in the Collom Expansion Area. - Colowyo will incorporate supplemental lighting at critical points of the Collom Haul road to the Gossard Loadout in order to improve wildlife visibility and minimize wildlife /vehicle collisions. - Colowyo will reduce highway haul truck speed limits to 40mph at the locations where the Collom Haul Road to the Gossard Loadout intersects established wildlife travel /migration corridors during periods when wildlife are actively crossing the road to minimize wildlife /vehicle collisions. - Colowyo will incorporate plant species that are beneficial for mule deer and elk into the seed mix utilized for conversion of the Gossard Loadout facility area wheat fields to perennial vegetation. - Colowyo will consider incorporation of a wider shoulder on the East side of the Collom Haul Road in areas that do not increase disturbance of wetlands or incur other inadvertent negative environmental impacts. The West side of the Collom Haul Road already incorporates a wide area for tracked equipment travel that will be maintained free of vegetation or managed to maximize wildlife visibility. - Colowyo will continue to support additional efforts for habitat enhancement activities in the Axial Basin and Morgan Creek Ranching for Wildlife areas. 2.05.6 (3)(a) Protection of the Hydrologic Balance Surface Water Surface water will be protected in the mining areas by stormwater management as described in Section 2.05.3(4) of this permit revision application and in the Stormwater Management Plan portion of the Stormwater Discharge Permit and as shown in Exhibit 7, Item 23. Protection includes the use of diversion ditches to route surface water around the mining impact areas. Current surface water rights will not be impacted by mining operations at Little Collom X or Collom Lite. There is no expected long -term measurable impact to the quantity of surface water in Collom Gulch, Little Collom Gulch, Jubb Creek, or any of their tributaries. Surface water amounts that will be used in mining operations will be within the water rights owned by Colowyo. Surface water quality of the three creeks is calculated to only be marginally impacted by mining activities. This marginal impact, described in the Probable Hydrologic Consequences section (Section 2.05.6 (3)(b)(iii) below), will be due to meteoric water being captured in and evaporated from the mine pit during operations, and meteoric water contacting an increased surface area of soil in the vadose zone and thereby theoretically increasing the mass of dissolved solids entering shallow groundwater. These dissolved solids in shallow groundwater may eventually enter the surface water system, with a theoretical increase in dissolved solids in the surface water. This increase is calculated to be small enough to have no impact on the current or projected surface water uses in the Collom Gulch, Little Collom Gulch, and Jubb Creek drainages. Groundwater Collom — Rule 2, Page iii Revision Date: 9/28/11 Revision No.: PR -03