22
At mining Year 10, the ore grade begins to drop as the Minable Pit will extend into more of the
stockwork ores at Bull Hill and mining will begin at the Whitetail Pit. The production rate to the
PUG Plant will increase up to 1,000 tons per day in order to maintain a nearly consistent
production of final REO product. Stockpiled low and mid-grade ores will also be PUG processed
along with fresh mined ore until mining Year 25 when the Mineable Pit ores will be depleted.
Stockpiled ores will continue to be PUG processed up through Year 43 when they are estimated
to be depleted. Reclamation of mining facilities will begin as soon as the mineable ores are
depleted.
4.5.7 Transportation
4.5.7.1 Construction
Light vehicle traffic associated with construction of the Bull Hill Mine will include ten vehicles.
Workers will be transported from a parking facility on private lands near Sundance to the
construction site using busses or transport vans. The specific location of the parking facility will
be determined at a later date.
Table 4.5-3 shows the heavy equipment required to construct the Mine and PUG Plant. Heavy
equipment will remain on-site during construction. Heavy vehicle traffic on the access route and
highways during construction will include approximately 200 truck deliveries over the 12-month
construction period. Most of the traffic will consist of flatbed trailers with cargo.
Table 4.5-3
Heavy Equipment Required for Mine and PUG Plant Construction
1
Construction Equipment
Size
Number
Required
Dozer
87,733 lb.
8
Loader
2.9 cubic yards
6
Mobile Crane
100 - 200 tons
2
Water Well Drilling Rig
Super Drill 1500
1
Post Drilling Tractor
-
1
Grader
403 inches
1
Backhoe Loader
24,251 lb.
2
Articulated Truck
Model 735
2
Dump Truck
27 cubic yards
10
Wire Line Truck
--
1
Electrical Bucket Truck
--
1
Pole Line Truck
--
1
1
Includes mine facilities, access roads, and power line construction.
4.5.7.2 Operations
The REE mineral pre-concentrate will be transported from the Bull Hill Area to the Hydromet
Plant in OTR covered trucks with a 58.5 ton (gross) capacity, which includes an estimated
payload of 35 tons. Haulage traffic will average 17 round-trips per day, 7 days per week during
peak production (after Year 10), but will average 13 round-trips per day during the first 9 years
of mine production.
Additional project-related traffic will include fuel, chemical (flocculent, laboratory chemicals,
solvents, blasting chemicals, and other hazardous materials included in Table 5.8-1) as well as
other material deliveries (supplies). The rare earth carbonate concentrate product will be
transported by rail from the Hydromet Plant to intermediate and final markets.
