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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII • ,_2~_~~ • <br />SN: EXHIBIT L <br />RECLAMATION COSTS <br />The following information necessary to calculate reclamation costs has been prepared <br />under the "worst-case" scenario that could occur in the event that the Yankee Gulch <br />Sodium Minerals Project (Yankee Gulch Project) were to shut down during commercial <br />operations. The assumption is that the worst-case scenario would represent the <br />maximum amount of reclamation that could be required. An inventory of roads, <br />piping, ponds, buildings, and other structures necessary for operation of the project is <br />provided below. Estimated reclamation costs have not been included because the <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) provides and uses its own <br />reclamation cost schedule. <br />L.1 Piceance Site Reclamation <br />The Piceance Site has two major types of components that would require reclamation: 1) <br />the solution mining well field, which would consist of up to six 5-year mining panels <br />and 2) the initial processing facility. The well field is where the actual solution mining <br />will occur, as discussed below. The initial processing facility includes the buildings and <br />appurtenant structures necessary for initial product processing. <br />L.1.1 Well Field Reclamation <br />Each of the six mining panels in the solution mining well field will be reclaimed after <br />mining in the respective panel has been completed. Reclamation of a mining panel is <br />assumed to be completed in one year. Therefore, the maximum area of required <br />reclamation for the well field would be one full mining panel, plus any additional <br />structures that are constructed during the first year of operation of the subsequent <br />mining panel. For example, reclamation of the 0-5 year mining panel would begin at <br />approximately the same time as well field initiation in the 5-10 year mining panel. <br />Reclamation of a given mine panel would include: 1) drill pads and associated <br />temporary access roads, 2) piping (of which there are three categories: main header <br />piping, lateral piping, and individual well piping), and 3) plugging and abandoning of <br />solution mining wells. <br />Drill Pad and Associated Temporary Access Road Reclamation The average <br />drill pad size for a solution mining well is estimated to be 0.28 acre (150 x 80 feet). The <br />average disturbed area would be closer to 0.5 acre for each pad. Each pad would have <br />site-specific topography such that the amount of topsoil removed would be different. <br />However, the average amount of topsoil removed for each drill pad is estimated to be 6 <br />inches. Therefore, approximately 400 cubic yards of soil per pad would be removed <br />and stockpiled. Topsoil would be stockpiled on the edge of the drill pad so that the <br />maximum distance soil would be relocated during drill pad reclamation would be 150 <br />feet. <br />Detailed analysis of cut and fill volumes for the 0-5 year mining panel was performed <br />by Agapito and Associates, Inc. (Agapito). The 0-5 year panel was selected because the <br />L-1 <br />