3
1.2.3 Road Maintenance
Routine maintenance on the Miller Creek Access Route will include grading and dust control on
unpaved roads, and snow removal on all roads. Snowplows will be used to remove snow to the
full width of the road plus turnouts and ditch lines. Gravel roads will be resurfaced with
roadbase, and asphalt overlays will be applied to damaged portions of paved roads on an as
needed basis. Routine road maintenance on drill site access roads will include smoothing ruts,
filling holes with fill material, grading, safety berms, adding roadbase, and re-establishing
waterbars as necessary to maintain adequate drainage according to the Gold Book (BLM and
Forest Service, 2007).
1.3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
1.3.1 Land Requirements
Each drill site will be approximately 75 feet by 35 feet or 0.06 acre. If all 2,000 drill sites are
constructed over a 40+ year mine life, total disturbance would be 120 acres; however, drill sites
will be reclaimed as drill holes are abandoned, limiting the amount of active disturbance at any
one time. Trenching and bulk sampling will require approximately 11.48 acres of disturbance for
20,000 feet of trenching. Temporary roads and overland travel will be required to support the
drilling and trenching activities. Approximately 30 miles of temporary road (15 feet in width)
would be required over 40+ years. Because this is an exploration project, RER is unable to
predict the exact location of all of the exploration roads, drill sites, trenches, and bulk sample
locations. At the beginning of each year, prior to exploration, RER will provide a proposed work
plan to the Forest Service for review and approval. The work plan will provide the location of
proposed exploration activities and project related disturbance for that year. Table 1 provides
estimates of exploration disturbance over the mine life (40 years or more).
Table 1
Project Related Surface Disturbance
Exploration Activity
First Year
Surface
Disturbance
(acres
Subsequent
Years
Surface
Disturbance
(acres)
Total
Disturbance
(acres)
Temporary Constructed Roads
1.30
53.50
54.80
Overland Travel
1.65
66.18
67.83
Drill Sites (includes sediment traps)
2.88
2
117.12
3
120.00
Trenching and Bulk Sampling
0.28
4
11.20
5
11.48
Total
6.11
248.0
254.11
1
Assumes 30.14 miles of road with a 15 foot disturbance width.
2
Based on 48 drill sites at an average of 0.06 acre per site.
3
Based on 1952 drill sites at an average of 0.06 acre per site.
4
Based on 480 feet of trenching (4 feet in width). Footprint is 25 feet in width including spoils piles.
5
Based on 19,520 feet of trenching (25 feet in width).
1.3.2 Construction
Drill Sites.
Drill sites will be constructed from the native soil and rock materials present using a
a Cat D8L dozer, Case 9050B excavator or similar equipment. The site will be constructed by
clearing vegetation, stripping and stockpiling topsoil, and leveling the pad area using cut-and-fill
techniques. Sumps (sediment traps), usually two per drill site (each 30 feet by 15 feet and 6 feet
in depth) would be constructed, as necessary. During excavation, topsoil would be removed and
stockpiled adjacent to the pads and sediment traps, and replaced upon completion of activities
