81
years following the completion of mining. Monitoring will continue following closure and
reclamation until suitable conditions concerning water quality and revegetation uptake have
been reached.
5.22.2 Post-Mining Land Uses
After mine closure, the area will be managed by the Forest Service to meet the goals outlined in
the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Phase II Amendment to the 1997 Revised
Land and Resource Management Plan for the Black Hills National Forest (Forest Service,
2005). This will include allowing the area to re-establish vegetation, allowing forest re-growth,
and to promote and maintain wildlife presence in the area. Occasional recreational users will
use the area. No developments for future recreational or industrial uses are planned for the area
after mining is complete.
5.22.3 Areas to Be Closed and Reclaimed
Mineable Pit
. RER has identified a scenario for mine development that includes two resource
areas (Bull Hill Measured and Indicated and Whitetail Resource Area) to be combined into one
Mineable Pit as mining progresses. The ore reserves in the Whitetail area continue to be
evaluated; however, the mine plan, site development, and facility layouts are based on a 40+
year mine life. At closure, the final pit perimeters will be blocked from access and the slopes left
as developed during mining. The Mineable Pit and adjacent areas are assumed to be founded
in hard rock and thus it will be economically unfeasible to lay back pit walls for the purpose of
mine closure. However, terracing and engineering stabilization practices will be carried out
during mining operations in preparation for closure.
Waste Rock Facility.
The Waste Rock Facility will be located centrally within the Project Area
and east of the Mineable Pit and PUG Plant on private lands (Section 16). The Waste Rock
Facility will be approximately 4,800 feet by 4,100 feet with a maximum elevation of 6,200 feet
amsl.
Low Grade Ore Stockpile.
The Low Grade Ore Stockpile will be located on the southwestern
most corner of the Waste Rock Facility also on private lands (Section 16). It will reach a
maximum elevation of approximately 6,200 feet amsl and will cover a total area of
approximately 70 acres entirely within the Waste Rock Facility.
PUG Plant Site, Ancillary Facilities and Roads.
The PUG Plant Site will be located north of
the Mineable Pit and west of the Waste Rock Facility (see Map 4.2-2 – map pocket). The Plant
Site will contain the PUG Plant, three crushed ore stockpiles, office buildings, a truck wash
station, a mine shop, a fueling island, and a lay-down and staging yard.
5.22.4 General Reclamation
5.22.4.1 Soils
Soil Salvaging.
Prior to mining, all suitable topsoil and subsoil will be salvaged and stockpiled
in separate areas for use during the site reclamation. Soil and subsoil will be removed from all
disturbed locations within the PUG Plant Site, in the Mineable Pit footprint, and within the Waste
Rock Facility footprint. A soil cover of approximately 16 to 18 inches composed of suitable soil is
required for reclamation to enable vegetative success.
The upper 6 inches of suitable topsoil will be salvaged and stockpiled separately from the
subsoils also stripped from the site area. All vegetation stripped with the topsoil will be
incorporated directly into the topsoil stockpile to augment organic matter content and seed
source availability.
