2008-11-17_REVISION - C1981008

• Permit No: C1981008
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 11/17/2008
• Doc Name: Soil Resources Information and Review Memo
• From: Dan Mathews
• To: MarciaTalvitie
• Type & Sequence: TR57
• Email Name: MLT
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
COLORADO
D I VI S I ON OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
DRMS INTERNAL MEMORANDUM Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Hams D. Sherman
Executive Director
TO: Marcia Talvitie \ Ronald W. Cattany
FROM: Dan Mathews Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
DATE: November 17, 2008
RE: New Horizon Mine (Permit No. C-81-008)
TR 57; Soil Resource Information, Soil Handling, and Prime
Farmland
I have reviewed WFC's response submittal dated November 7, 2008, which addressed
remaining adequacy items 28, 30, 34, and 39, of our October 21, 2008 review letter. The
operator complied with our request to provide itemized responses in the cover letter,
specifying page numbers, tables, attachments, and text sections that were amended in
response to each item. This greatly aided my review.
However, I noted that there were certain amendments to the November version of the
submittal that were not directly in response to Division concerns and were not addressed
in the cover letter. For example, the subsoil suitability level for conductivity was
changed from 4.0 to 6.0, with apparent justification based on NRCS correspondence, a
new sub-section "Stripping Saturated Topsoil" was added, and there were various
organizational changes to the text.
My comments regarding the outstanding concerns are listed below.
28. The Division requested additional clarification regarding winter topsoil stripping
on amended page (d)-22, to clarify that topsoil stripping would not be conducted
if soils are frozen to the extent that soil physical characteristics are negatively
impacted or proper lift separation and salvage are compromised.
The operator responded with revised language on amended page 2.05.4(2)(d)-23.
The revised text notes that conditions resulting in frozen soils that would impact
soil handling operations at New Horizon would be rare, with the only significant
concern related to the potential that extended periods of extreme cold could result
in possible difficulty with respect to proper separation of Lift A and Lift B soils.
The text states that in this situation, Lift A salvage operations would be
suspended.
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Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines