2015 BOGM Day Award Rio KUC - Utah · 2015 UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MINING EARTH DAY AWARDS...

Minerals

Ambro and Son, LLP

Rio Tinto - KUC (A)

Rio Tinto - KUC (B)

Star Stone Quarries, lnc.

Teck American, lnc.

Simplot Phosphates, LLC

Coal

Canyon Fuel Co. - Skyline Mine

Canyon Fuel Co. - Skyline Mine

Canyon Fuel Co. - Sufco Mine

Oiland Gas

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

Crescent Point Energy

Crescent Point Energy

2015 BOGM Earth Day Award Nominations

Cedarstrom Calcite Min

Copperton Highline Reclamation

Copperton Highline Reclamation

Rosebud Quarry Reclamation

Apex Mine Reclamation

Sage Grouse Habitat Creation

Eccles Canyon Campsite lmprovements

AMRP Wattis Fire Assistance

Skumpah Canyon Exploration Projects

GNB-Metha ne Capture Project

Randlett 3D Geophysical Operations

LeLand Bench Paleo/Archeological

2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MINING

EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany Name_Ambro & Son, LLPAddress: 2000 Ames DriveGity, State,Ztp: Burnsville, MN 55306Gontact Person: Christopher EnnesPhone: 801-977-8012Site Name: Gedarstrom Galcite MineLocation: Utah Gounty

Activity and Category (Please check one activity and one category)

Activity. Oil and Gas. Minerals. Coal

Gategory¡ Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or

recovery site, or field. Outstanding results following applications of innovative

environmental technology. Outstanding final reclamation or site restoration. Best practices. Other

Nominated ByName AprilAbateAddress 1594 West North TempleCity, State, Zip Salt Lake Gity, UTPhone 801-538-5214

Nomination Summary (attach additional sheets, photos, etc., as necessary)

After deciding that mining was not part of the business plan, this operatortook prompt action to get this property reclaimed. An old and unsightlycorrugated metal building was removed, railfreight cars on the property used forstorage were removed, and the old portalwas sealed. All regrading activities werecompleted over the spring and summer of 2014. Even though this operator stillhas the vegetation liability period ahead of them, I was very impressed with theactions that were undertaken to reclaim this site. The old mine processingbuilding could directly be seen from Redwood Road just outside SaratogaSprings.

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Cedarstrom Calcite Mine (5/049/0012)2014 Reclamation Photo Documentation

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EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationCompany Name Rio Tinto - KUCAddress 4700 Daybreak ParlçwayGity, State, Zip South Jordan, Utah 84095Contact Percon Thiess LindsayPhone 801-569-6066Site Name Bingham M/035/0002Location Salt Lake County


Activity. Oiland Gasr' Minerals. Goal

Category. Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or

recovery site, or fieldo Outstanding results following applications of innovative

environmental technology/ Outstanding final reclamation or site restorationo Best practiceso Other

Nominated ByName Leslie HepplerAddress 1594 W, North Temple, Suite 1210City, State, Zip Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5801Phone 801-538-5257

Nomination Summary (attach additionalsheets, photos, etc., as necessary)See aüached

Return no later than January 31,2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas andlìllining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City, Utah84114-5801. Phone (801) 538-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also besubmitted electronically, email to jj

2015 UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MININGEARTH DAY AWARDS

Nominee - Rio Tinto - KUCActivity - MineralsCategory - Outstanding final reclamation and site restoration

The nominee listed above should receive an Earth Day Award because:

Rio Tinto - KUC went up and beyond the rules in the reclamation of the old Copperton -Highline rail grade. The Copperton - Highline rail grade was used to transpott ore from

Bingham Pit to the Bonneville Crusher and then to the Arthur Mill. The rail grade was no

longer in service after the shutdown of the Arthur Mill in 2OO'1. The rails and ballast were

removed in 2012 and 2013 and the site cleaned up as directed by DEQ. ln 2013 and 2014

mass regrading was done to remove old valley fills. The valley fills impacted the aesthetic

view of the mountain range / valley transition zone. Rio Tinto - KUC removed large

drainage fills to improve the view shed. Aesthetic view sheds are not part of the OGM Rule

647. The old rail grade could have been ripped and reseeded and would have met

compliance with the rules. The removal of valley fills greatly improved the view shed. No

funds were used from the state of Utah to accomplish the reclamation. The rail grade was

regraded to match the surrounding landscape. Rio Tinto - KUC contributes to the

progressive excellence by a Mining Company for their reclamation efforts. The quality of the

reclamation is excellent and the precision during construction is top notch. The Team

promoted a very effective synergy with the Division and partnered in all phases of the

reclamation. The project is a win-win situation for Rio Tinto - KUC and the Division of Oil,

Gas and Mining, the Environment and the local community. The work was performed in an

environmentally sensitive

manner. The project meets

the goal of OGM for:

. Outstanding Site

Reclamation

. Environmental Site

lmprovement

. Restored fills of the

railgrade to a

natural state

. lmproved the view

shed

o Preserved existing

vegetation where

possible

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Drainage reestablishment - After

Drainage reestablishment - During

4700Daybreak ParlnvaySouth fordan Utah, 84096

Contact: Trevor Heaton801-563-1514

Proiect: Reclamation of the Copperton Highline

Location¡ Magn4 Utah


Activityo Oil and Gas/ Minerals¡ Coal

Nominee Information

CompanyName:

Address:

Nominated ByName:

Address:

Phone:

2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GASAND MINING

EARTH DAYAWARDS

Nomination Form

Rio Tinto Kennecott

Categoryo Environmental improvementto an active mine site, drilling or

recoverysite, or field¡ Outstandtng results following applications of lnnovative

environmental technoloryr' Outstanding final reclamation or site restorationo Best practiceso Other

Trevor Heaton (Rio Tinto Kennecott)

4700 Daybreak ParkwaySouth fordan Utah, 84096

801-538-5257

Nomination Summary (attach additional sheets, photos, etc., as necessary)See attached

Return no later than fanuary 3L,àOLS to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas andMining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake Clty, Utâhg4114-5801. Phone (801) 538-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also be

submitted electronically, email to iluLqlili!ìgel!@ltaLeflY

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UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MINING2015 EARTH DAY AWARDS

Rio Tinto KennecottProject: Reclamation of the Copperton Highline

Activity - MineralsCategory - Outstanding Final Reclamation and Site Restoration

Rio Tinto Kennecott is submitting this nomination to receive a 2015 Earth Day Award for the

Copperton Highline Reclamation Project because this project went above and beyond what

is required for site reclamation.

The Copperton Highline was a rail line used to haul ore from mining operations in Bingham

Canyon on the south end of the valley to be milled and processed at the Bonneville Crusher

and the Arthur Goncentrator, near Magna, Utah. Historically, to construct the Gopperton

Highline, numerous drainages were cut and filled to create a smooth, planar surface to lay

the rail. Slag was brought in for use as railway ballast upon which rails and timbers were

installed. With time, Kennecott installed facilities and implemented technologies that

rendered obsolete the ore haulage by rail to the Bonneville and Arthur area. Once the

Copperton Highline was no longer needed, Kennecott began reclamation of this rail line

infrastructure.

ln order to reclaim land impacted by construction of the Copperton Highline, Kennecott

began by removing approximately rails and timbers from approximately 6 miles of railroad.

Kennecott then contracted one of the leading reclamation contractors in Utah to remove slag

rail ballast potentially containing elevated levels of lead and arsenic. Once ballast was

removed, this reclamation team proceeded to excavate through significant amounts of fÏll

material to remove culverts and re-establish natural flow in drainages impacted by the

construction of the rail way. Although not required, Kennecott and their contractor, Flare

Construction, removed enormous quantities of fill material from drainages and placed this fill

in areas along the Copperton Highline corridor to provide a natural variation to the reclaimed

contours. Cuts and fills were re-graded to match the natural topography. ln order to re-

establish natural drainages and provide a natural variation along miles of railway, Flare

Construction moved enormous quantities of dirt. Kennecott and Flare Construction

performed their work in an environmentally safe manner and no injuries to personnel

occurred during the project. This project improved the environment, bolstered public safety,

and is to be considered outstanding regarding site reclamation.

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PHOTO 2 Dwing Removal

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PHOTO 3 After Re-Grading

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PHOTO 6 After Reseeding

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PHOTO 1 I After Re-Grading

PHOTO 12 After Re-Seeding


EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationCompany Name: Star Stone Quarries, lnc.Address: 4040 South 300 WestGity, State, Zip: Salt Lake Citv, UT 84107Gontact Person: Lon ThomasPhone: (801) 262-4300Site Name: Rosebud QuarrvLocation: Western Box Elder Countv. Utah

Activity and Gategory (Please check one activity and one category)

Activity. Minerals

Gategory. Oútstanding final reclamation or site restoration

Nominated ByName: Lvnn KunzlerAddress: 1594 West North TempleCity, State, Zip: Salt Lake Citv, UT 84114Phone :801-538-5310

Nomination Summary (attach additionalsheets, photos, etc., as necessary)

See attached

Return no later than January 30, 2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas andMining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5801. Phone (80f ) $8-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also be submittedelectron ically, email to i [email protected]

Reclamation of the Rosebud Quarry, I|i4100310026, Box Elder County, Utah

The Rosebud quarry began operations on BLM administered land in 1995. Two separate quarryareas were started, one produced a sage green colored flagstone and the other produced a whiteflagstone (flagstone in this area is quartzils and has a thickness from about % inch to 2-3 inches.)

Annual production was between200 to 2000 tons of flagstone per year. At the end of mine life,approximately 8 acres had been disturbed. In early 2010, the BLM challenged the mineral claimson the site and insisted that the materials thicker than I inch were not locatable, and that theoperator would need to purchase these materials. This determination was made even though thethicker material could be hand split thinner (current market was asking for a significant amount ofthe thicker material).

In the late fall of 2012, the operator entered into an agreement with the BLM to relinquish theclaims at rosebud with the BLM agreeing to open an area owned by the operator to claims (thisarea being a split estate with BLM Mineral/Private Surface).

During an inspection in June of 2013, it was noted that the area had been cleaned up, all previouslypalleted stone had been removed, all temporary facilities (camp trailers, fuel storage tanks andmining equipment had been removed. The quarry pits and overburden materials were notreclaimed. Subsequent discussions between the operator and the BLM found that there had been amisunderstanding of the agreement - Since the BLM intended to make this area a community pitand continue to sell rock to the general public, the operator thought he did not need to backfill pitsand regrade overburden piles since these would be the source of rock for the public. However, theBLM insisted that the overburden materials be pushed back into the pits. Since the area wouldcontinue in a semi-disturbed state with the general public making small purchases from time totime, it was agreed by all that there would be no revegetation standard for the reclamation, and thatonce the regrading work was completed, the full reclamation surety of $81,900 would be released.

Regrading work began in late November of 2013 and was completed in February of 2014. Duringthe regrading activities, the operator noted that there would still be a significant depression in thepits after moving all the overburden materials that were onsite. Wanting to make sure all agencieswould be satisfied with the reclamation, and not require him to re-mobilize to do additional work,he made arrangements with a neighboring operator to move approximately 20,000 cu. yds. ofwaste material from an abandoned millsite area so he would have suff,rcient material for backfillingthe two pits.

Regrading of the pits and areas where the dump material had been piled were seeded, even thougha revegetation standard was not required. This also included the 2-acre millsite area where theadditional material was obtained.

Final results - the regrading efforts were so impressive that the BLM dropped plans to make theareaa community pit. During an inspection in summer of 2014, it was noted that vegetation wasestablishing well.

The mine site is within the Box Elder Sage Grouse Management Area indentified in the State'sSage Grouse Initiative approved by the Governor. As a side beneht of the reclamation activities,approximately 10 acres of habitat were restored for the greater Sage Grouse, a state sensitivespecies a candidate species for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The restorationrequired the complete removal (by backfilling or regrading) of all vertical structures on the site,including highwalls and steep slopes associated with the pits and waste dumps. Wildlifeemployees reported that sage grouse were observed using the area during the spring 2014 breedingseason!

Star Stone Quarries, Inc is therefore being nominated not only for outstanding final reclamationwork of a mine site which resulted in approximately 10 acres of habitat being was restored for thegreater sage grouse, but also that reclamation extended beyond what was required in the clean-upand reclamation of a neighboring site (2 acres) that the operator had no responsibility to do.

Green Pit (pre-reclamation)

East End of Waste Dump adjacent to Green Pit, Camp Area, Fuel and Equipment Storage

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Reclaimed White Pit Area

Reclaimed White Pit and Dump Areas

Reclaimed Millsite Area

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EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany Name: Teck American, lnc.Address 5Ol Nnrth Rirrernnint vD #300Gity, State, Zip: Snokane WA9 -1649Gontact Person: Dave EnosPhone: (509) 623-4505Site Name: Apex MineLocation: abt. 14 miles west of St. Georoe, Utah


Activityo Minerals

Gategory. Outstanding final reclamation or site restoration

Nominated ByName: I vnn KunzlerAddress: 1594 West North TempleGity, State, Zip: Salt Lake Citv. UT 84114Phone: 801-538-5310


See attached

Return no later than January 30, 2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas andMining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City, Utah84114-5801. Phone (801) 538-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also besubm itted electron ically, emai I to i imspri [email protected]

Reclamation of the Apex Mine, M/053/0004, Washington Gounty, Utah

The Apex mine was permitted in 1984 as an underground operation within an old miningarea âpproximately 14 miles West of St. George, Utah. A mill complex was constructedseveral miles north of the mine on the Paiute Indian Reservation, with tribal agreements.Shortly after construction, problems with tribal leaders idles the mill and subsequentlythe mine as well (last year of production was in 1989. Tech approached the Board of Oil,Gas and Mining in February of 2004, to request an extended period of inactivity withoutreclaiming the site. A ten-year extension subsequently approved. During this time, theoperator hired a local individual to make weekly inspections (for security) and do anynecessary maintenance of the site.

In the fall of 2010, the operator began final reclamation of the site. Due to the increase invandalism at the site, the company determined the continued liability was not worth therisk to keep the site open.

Reclamation consisted of removing all surface structures and facilities, permanentlyclosing the portals with block and backfilling the pad to completely bury the portal areasseveral feet deep, and regrading the dump, pad, and approximately % mile of access road.The mine dump materials were used for backfilling purposes. Fill material from the roadconstruction was retrieved to eliminate the road cut. There was no topsoil available sincemining in the area pre-dated the mined land reclamation act. However the operatorsegregated the best materials available to use as a substitute topsoil. The surface waS leftif a roughened condition to reduce erosion potential and promote revegetation. Thereclamation work was completed in an exceptional manner going beyond expectations ofthe Division. Even with record-breaking rains after regrading had been completed,erosion has not been a problem.

During the summer of 2014, the operator determined that some areas of the site wouldbenefit from additional seeding. Working with the Division, a supplemental seed mix wasdeveloped to reseed approximately 3 acres of the original l0 acres of disturbance. Thereseeding was completed in November 2014 by broadcasting the seed and using rakes tocover the seed.

During company inspections of the site, a previously abandoned shaft was found near theApex mine. The company took it upon themselves to have this shaft sealed to keep anypublic out of the potential dangerous shaft. Materials and tools to do this had to bepacked in approximately t/¿mile to do this.

Teck American Inc is nominated for an earth day award for excellent reclamation of amine site. In addition, the company went beyond the requirements by permanentlyclosing and sealing abandoned mine shafts near their mine that they had no regulatoryresponsibilify for, thus improving overall safety to the public that may use the area forhiking or hunting.

Apex Mine Facilities

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2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND HINING

EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany Name Simplot Phosphate LLGAddrese 9401 North tgtC¡ty, State, Z¡p_YsIssLIIlah 84078-7802Contact Percon John SnencerPhone (4351781-3348Site Name Vernal Ooeration

Activity and Category (Please check one activityr and one category)

Activitya and Gas

Outstanding results applications of innovativeenvironmental technology

. Outstanding final ¡eclamation or site restorationo Best practices. Other

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Nominated ByName .lohnAddress 9401 N. Hwv #l9lCity, State, Zip Vernal. Utah 84078Phone Â3'5t741 -3348

Nomination Summary (attach additionalsheets, photosn etc., as necessary)

See Attached Nomination Summarv

Return no later than January 31,2014to: Ea¡th Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gasand lrlining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake Gity,Uteh 84114-5801. Phone (80f ) æ8-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations mayalso be submitted electronically, email to [email protected]

Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drillinga

Earth Day Award Nomination

Activity: "Minerals"Category: "Bnvironmental Improvements to an Active Mine Sitet'

For

Creation of Sage Grouse Habitat

I am nominating Simplot Phosphates, LLC (Simplot) for an Earth Day Award, in the

"Environmental lmprovements to an Actlve Mine Site" category of the "Minerals"

Activity for their efforts in the Creation of Sage Grouse Habitat. As a mining company,

Simplot understands its responsibility/stewardship towards the Environment. Simplot

and its employees have made Environmental Stewardship a top priority. Knowing how

big an issue the Greater Sage Grouse is, our efforts are directly focused on the creation of

sage grouse hab¡tat for the last 7-8 years, and perhaps indirectly for the last several

decades.

The Vernal Phosphate Operations have been mining phosphate in Utah's Uintah Basin for

over 57 years making continuous improvements all along the way. Projects such as these

listed below have made a big impact in the creation of sage grouse habitat:

Now let's take each of these projects and give you a little background and more

information on what the project detailed.

Pinion and Juniper Treatments - Chaining Project:

Pinion and juniper (PJ's) vegetative cover are undesirable for the support of most

wildlife, like big game and especially sage grouse. The PJ's out compete the other

vegetation for resources such as water, sun, space, soil nutrients, etc. ln predominantly

PJ vegetative coverage there is very little understorying that can support wildlife. Also,

the sage grouse avoid the PJ's because their predators use them to perch on prior to

hunting. Given the many areas of dense PJ coverage here at Simplot we selected a site in

coordination with DWR for this chaining project. We selected a site that will not be

disturbed by mining or mining activities for many years, plus it is readily accessible and

close to town so it can be easily monitored, and there are roads already developed to the

selected site.

The selected site shown in Figure 1 (attached) shows property ownership and

boundaries. Figure 2 (also attached) shows a close up of the selected area using an Aerial

image as the backdrop. The aerial image allows viewers to see exactly how dense the PJ

vegetation was prior to chaining. This was a project that was several years in the planning

stages before field work began.

The selected site was approximately 400 plus acres of prime potential sage grouse

habitat. lts elevation and proximity to existing leks made it a prime candidate for this

chaining project. This area is in close proxim¡ty to Diamond Mountain Greater Sage

Grouse Leks.

This field work began with a third party archeologist performing a cultural survey of the

project area and then DWR personnel flagging the boundary of the project area. Next, a

pair of Dll Caterpillar dozers and a giant chain were utilized to remove the dense

vegetat¡on of pinion and junipers from the subject area.

Seeding of the project area took place before, during and after the actual chaining.

Utilization of dozer seed track dribblers during the chaining was utilized to aid in the

seeding and re-establishment of a couple of variety of seed in the chained areas. This was

a new and Innovative approach for Simplot. The theory being that the dozer tracks create

impressions in the ground that aid in the establishment of new vegetation. The dozer

track footprints collect water and shade the seedlings as they are getting established.

Additionally, Simplot and DWR contracted aerial seeding services for seeding of

additional types of vegetation in the subject area. Aerial seeding was performed before

and after the treatment of the PJ's. All these efforts resulted in the creation of 400 plus

acres of prime Sage grouse habitat.

Sage Brush Plantings Project:

When it comes to sage grouse, sage brush forms an important and essential part of their

habitat. Sage brush provides food and shelter for the sage grouse. Simplot in its

discussions with DWR asked what could be done to improve the establishment of the

different varieties of sage brush in their reclaimed lands. This led to the partnering of

Simplot and Utah DWR to experiment on how to improve the success of the sage brush

vegetation in the reclamation.

DWR, it turns out had already been working on this issue at other sites. DWR modified a

farm tractor for just this purpose, see Photo 1. There is a small plow attachment that has

been modified, it has a metal plate attached to the plow. The goal is to remove other

vegetative root growth that would compete with the sage brush for resources (water,

sun, nutrients, etc.). The modified plow was used to d¡g 4-6 inches deep and fold the soil

to the side. The result that can be seen in photo 2, this close up shows the vegetation

removed in a 4-5 foot wide swath with a 4-5 inch trough in the center. The scalper was

equipment with a seed dribbler on the back that re-seeded the freshly scalped area with

a couple varieties of seed including sage brush.

DWR felt that in order to provide the greatest chance of success the scalping should be

performed on the contour as much as possible and avoid slopes. The scalped rows were

spaced on approximately 20 foot centers. The areas treated are shown in photo 5 on the

background of aerial imagery. We treated approximately 50 acres of private land.

Photos 3 and 4 show the scalper hard at work, from morning to dusk treating the

selected areas. This project required several days in the field with a DWR operator to

complete the scalping treatment.

AerialSeeding:

Simplot has experimented w¡th d¡fferent means of improving the vegetation in the

reclamation. As we ment¡oned earlier of particular concern is the establishment of sage

brush in the reclaimed former PJ areas. This project experimented with aerial seeding to

compare success rates to traditional hand broadcast methods for various types of seed

including Wyoming Big Sage seeds.

Simplot worked with various aerial service companies in the aerial broadcasting of seeds

after the area has been reclaimed and drilled with the regular seed mix. We

experimented with three different areas over 3 years' time frame. lt was deemed that

the aerial seeding would have a greater chance of success in the fall planting season

where the seed would have plenty of snow melt moisture in the spring. So over three

successive fall planting seasons we aerial seeded areas of approximately 50 - L00 acres

each year.

Simplot appreciated working with DWR on this project. DWR coordinated and paid for

the first year's aerial seeding and then in the last 2 season we were able to utilize their

contracted rates with the companies providing the aerial seryices to perform the aerial

seeding. Unfortunately, we have been in an extended drought that has impacted both

the success ofthe hand broadcasting and the aerial broadcasting.

Mining Reclamation:

This refers to the reclamation of over 2,000 acres of mined land over the last 57 years.

We start with land that is not very hab¡table by wildlife in general; it is especially non-

sage grouse habitat with very dense pinion and junipers growths. And through the

process of mining Simplot removes all the pinions and junipers and replaces them with

plants suitable for supporting deer, elk, sage grouse and many other varieties of animals.

The world benefits from the minerals extracted. After the mining and reclamation

process are complete, we leave behind land that is suitable for sage grouse habitat as

well as other wildlife. This is a win-win for everyone.

This is not something that happens accidentally or as a natural byproduct of mining. This

habitat is created purposefully; it is designed, engineered and planned. There are gentle

slopes with level areas interspersed seemingly intermittently, there are depressions for

catching precipitation and retaining it thereby providing drinking water for the wildlife,

there are efforts to capture spring water in surface ponds before it sinks back into the

ground water. There are large flat areas sheltered from the winds by the surrounding

slopes. Not only is the engineering amazing, but also the artistry of the heavy equipment

operators in the creation of the habitat. lt is so masterfully done that one would think it

natural and not man made. The moneys, manpower and other resources are spent in its

creation is astounding.

We've average approximately 50 to 70 acres per year reclaimed. Our reclamation is, for

the most part, concurrent with the mining. Or in other words, when we mine a pit there

is a buffer left and then the previous pit is reclaimed behind that buffer.

Another astounding fact is that some of the mined land predates mining and reclamation

regulations and laws. For some of this land there was no topsoil salvaged, the land was

not regraded, and the land was not seeded. At least not at first, a considerable amount of

time, money and other resources were dedicated to correcting this deficiency. This land

has all been reclaimed and revegetated now, and can now be considered successfully

reclaimed as productive wildlife habitat.

Also, in the spirit of improving the habitat left behind, our reclamation seed mix is

continuously evolving. Every time reclaimed land is requested to be reviewed for release

from our bond, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining has plant experts come and

physically inspect the vegetation. Relying on their expertise in plant identification and

problem solv¡ng, we've been able to determine which seeds are successful in the

reclamation and which aren't. We've benefited from this expertise in determining if

there are soil problems in areas, (not enough soil, too rocky, etc.) to help successfully

establish vegetation coverage. Our reclamation seed mix has under gone an evolution,

removing the less successful seed, trying different grasses, forbs, and shrubs. We've tried

to reintroduce native vegetation and introduce vegetation from other areas that would

flourish in our environment. This mutual cooperation has been very successful with the

process of inspection, review and revision between Simplot and DOGM.

Reseeding Established Areas:

You can tell from the number of projects collaborated on with DWR, the great

relationship we have with them. This is another project worked on with DWR. We

experimented with the over drilling or reseeding of old reclamation areas to increase the

variety of the vegetation in the reclamation. These are areas that have sufficient

vegetation to be fully released, but on close inspection they are almost all grasses with

no forbs or shrubs. DWR's thoughts were that a few selected areas that were relatively

flat were prime candidates for over drilling or reseeding. These areas were exclusively in

the early reclamation areas of the mine, where no topsoil had been salvaged and

replaced. Over the years the soil on the surface has become topsoil and now contains the

organic and chemical content to be successful support other vegetation that is important

to wildlife.

DWR's experience was that these areas could be reseeded without really disturbing the

existing vegetation, and that the bare areas would very likely benefit from the drilling of

other species of seed. So a tractor and seed drill were used to reseeded approximately 40

acres of some of the early mine reclamation areas that had not been very successful in

the establishment of a variety of vegetation. This was a joint project with Utah DWR's

Vernal office. See photos 8 and 9 for the project photos.

Blasting lmprovements:

Other noted benefits to the sage grouse from Simplot are the blasting lmprovements.

These aren't really the on the ground habitat creation type projects, but more of an

aesthetic type benefit. lt might be comparable to having noisy, disruptive neighbors next

door or in your backyard. lt is not currently known how much sage grouse are affected by

noise, air overpressure, dust, and ground vibrations of blasting; but it is the current

thought by some scientists that they are affected by these things. So with the thought

that blasting may be disruptive to their lekking, nesting and breeding activities, changes

have been made to our blasting program.

Simplot's blasting program has evolved a lot over the last decade. Back L0 years ago,

Simplot blasted the phosphate ore in smaller shots and shot on average t to 2 ore shots

a week. Now ore shots are half that frequent. Overburden shots while bigger than the

ore shots were still relatively small shots. The overburden blasting was also divided into

high cover and low cover shots. This meant that there was approximately 1 overburden

shot per week. Today we blast larger shots in both the ore and the overburden, so we

don't blast as frequently as we did in the past. Plus, for the overburden shots we have

changed from a 2 bench highwall (high and low cover) to a single pass highwall. Our

overburden blasting frequency has changed from about once a week to about once a

month. This is one quarter of the original frequency.

"Thru Seam" blasting is another innovation that Simplot implemented along the forest

service boundary in close proximity to the Leks and the sage grouse winter and nesting

and breeding habitat to benefit among other things the sage grouse. 'Thru Seam"

blasting is the concept of fragmenting and moving the overburden and the ore through

one blast. Yet, separated by enough time that seismically speaking they are two separate

events. The challenges of this are ore losses and introduction of dilution to the ore seam.

Now you might think that because our shots are 2 to 3 times bigger we disturb the sage

grouse two to three times as much as we did before every time we blast. That would be a

false assumption. Blasting, as an industry and within Simplot, has evolved over this same

time frame. Simplot moved from a non-electric system to and electric system for

blasting. The accuracy of the detonators ¡n this blasting systems greatly improved,

unfortunately the costs greatly increased as well. We went from detonators with an

accuracy of +/- 25 milli-seconds (ms) or higher to an accuracy of +/- 1 ms. These highly

precise electronic detonators while more costly (increased 10 fold) make a world of

difference in air overpressure, ground vibration, noise decibels, dust generation, etc. We

are very precise in our control of the pounds of explosives detonating in each 8 ms

interval. This helps us control the shot and reduce dust, ground vibration, noise levels

and air over pressure.

Another innovation Simplot has gone thru is the improvement in the drills. We retired all

our regular vertical drills in favor of drills with angle drill packages. This gives us

directional control over where the overburden is casts. We are therefore able to cast

shots downhill away from the leks and the sage grouse breeding grounds.

Conclusion:

Simplot has easily spent millions of dollars

over the years towards environmental

improvements towards the creation of Sage

Grouse habitat. We feel strongly that it is our

environmental stewardship to return our

mined lands back to a useful state. This is our

way of fulfilling Simplot's Slogan of "Bringing

Earth's Resources to life". Simplot truly

embodies environmental responsibility and stewardship of the land. These Greater Sage

Grouse (Pictured here) and other wildlife are what this is all about. The last thing we

want to see ¡s these beautiful birds become extinct. These efforts are evidence that

Simplot is doing its part in making planet Earth more Sustainable. We leave this land

better than we found it.

Thank you for yout consideration on this nomination for an Earth Day Award.

¡t¡:ìs:

Figure 2: Close-up of Area Selected for PJ Chaining Project with Aerial lmage in Background

Photo 1: Image of Scalper plow/blade implement and high tech seed dribbler

Photo 2: Close up Image of Scalper in Action

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Photo 3: Treatment of Reclaimed Land in Panel C

Photo 4: Treatment of reclaimed land in Panel C

Photo 5: Total Area Treated with Scalper

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Photo 6: Plane on approach for seeding pass in Panel B - Trout Springs Area

Photo 7: Aerial Seeding Reclaimed area next to Trout springs Haul Road

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Photo 8: Tractor and Seed Drill

Photo 9: Over drilling of early reclamation areas to introduce new variety of vegetaion


EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationCompany Name Canvon Fuel Companv. LLCAddress HC 35. Box380City, State, Zlp- Hclnar I lfah R452Â

Gontact Person Greoq Galecki

Site Name_ Skvlinn Mine


Activity. Oil and Gaso Minerals. Coalr/

Categoryo Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or

recovery site, or fieldo Outstanding results following applications of innovative

environmental technology. Outstanding final reclamation or site restorationo Best practices. Othenl lmprovement of camosites on USFS manaqed lands

Nominated ByName Greoo GaleckiAddress HC 35 Box 380Gity, State, Zip Heloer. Utah 84526

(435) 448-2636


A total of five L5) sites were worked on this vear. with additional sites outlined for the

both the US Forest Service and Snow College.

Entrance to one of the sites erosron.

Trail leading off same site

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Other entrance of unauthorized road.

Entrance closed, scar¡fied, and seeded

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broadcasting seed and pulling brush over site.Hand-Ffi '',ì,i(ii

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Teamwork - building log-and-block structure.

Relocated fire ring to protect aspen stand.

The Snow- .- --¡éi"

students taki a break. Note the added logs up the trail.

Same site after adding gravel to reduce erosion.

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Another look at the site before

The site after improvements.

@United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

ForestService

Manti-La SalNational Forest

F'erron/Price Ranger DistrictPrice Work Center599 West Price River DrivePrice UT 84501Phone# (435)637¿8t7F¡x# (4:t5)637-4940

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Date: January 16,2015

Carl Winters

Mine Manager, Skyline Mine

HC 35 Box 380

Helper, UT 84526

On behalf of the Fenon/Price Ranger Dishict of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, I would liketo acknowledge the great cooperative relationship that has developed over several years withSkyline Mine. The mine's interest in the National Forest System Lands surrounding their miningoperations has led to several stewardship projects over the last few years.

Last fall, forest employees and mine personnel identified several dispersed campsites alongGranger Ridge where user created roads and continued expansion were resulting in a loss ofvegetation and soil erosion. Mine personnel, forest employees and natural resource studentsfrom Snow College worked together to remove haza¡d trees, install barriers, break up soilcompaction, and seed affected areas.

We look forward to continued cooperation in managing the forest resources that mine employeesand the general public have cherished for generations.

Sincerely,

/s/Bill Broadbear

Bill BroadbearSupervisory Forester, Fenon/?rice Ranger District

Carlng for the La¡d ¡nd Serving Peoplc Plilcd m Rrc¡¡drd Pçrrq

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l6 December20l,4

Chad H. DeweyDirector of Natural ResourcesNatural Resources DepLSnow CollegeEphraim, Ulah&46?il

Canyon Fuel Company, LLCHC 35 Box 380Helper, UT 84526

Dear Gregg,

I just wanted to let you krow how appreciative we ar€ at Snow College to be able to workwith Canyon Fuel Company at the Sþline Mine. The mission of the Snow College NeturalResources Program is to provide a highly field-based pmgram wherc sh¡dents are involved in real-life projects, internships, and trainings that provide students with key skills and qualifications neededfor future employmcnt in natural resource related fields. It is ra¡c forcollcge frcshman andsophomore students to be able to get as much handson experience and training as our students do,and it wouldn't be possible without working parùrerships like we have with the Sþline Mine.

Snow College and the sunounding community have few employment opportun¡ties forstudents attendingthe college. Coming into college, many students' resumes are very weak becauseof their lack of emplo¡rment opportunities in high school. Although an education is important, webelieve that real-life experience will propel our students ahead of those with an education alone. Justby parÍrering with Snow College for nuo days, working on closing offillegal camping spots andmechanically removing musk thistle heads, Skyline MÍnc has allourcd 13 students the opportunity tobe employed while going to school and gain valuoble rvork experience. These experiences will notonly look good on their rcsumes and help them obtain future employment in a natu¡al resource fìeld,but also makc them better students by seeing the rclevance of issuqs discussed in the classroom.

Many of our students interested ín natural rqsources think that the only jobs available forthem a¡e with state and fueral agencies. By allowing students to visit the mine and work side by sidewith natural r€source professionals working in the private industry, you are providing a great benefitto those students. Even if those students end up working with a govemment or non-profitorganization, they will have a bettcr understandingofthe coal mining industy and hopefully be youradvocate in the ñ¡t¡¡r,e.

Again, I'm greatftrl for the chance we have had to work wilfi you this pastyear and I hope

that together we will be able to find fi¡tur€ projects that will benefit futu¡e Snow College sludents as

ndl asthe Sþline Mina

Sincerel¡

kChad H. Dewey

l5O Coltege Avenue . Ephraim Utâh 84627 ' ¡155 283 7IllX, ' t'¡Mw snow edu


EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany NameAddress HC 35 BoxGity, State, Zip Heloer UT 84526Contact PersonPhone (435)448-6463Site Name Skyline MineLocation Wattis Fire


Activityo Oil and Gas. Minerals. Coal XXXX

Gategoryo Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or


environmental technology. Outstanding final reclamation or site restoration. Best practices. Other Corporate Citizen

Nominated ByName Susan WhiteAddress [email protected] 801-538-5311

Nomination Summary (attach additional sheets, photos, etc., as necessary)Skyline Mine assisted with the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Wattis Fire project byallowing us to contract with their helicopter.

Return no later than January 30, 2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gasand Mining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City,Utah 84114-5801. Phone (801) 538-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations mayalso be submitted electronically, email to

The Wattis Coal Mine Fire Project attempted to extinguish fire burning in two adjacent portals ofthe abandoned Wattis Mine, ignited by the Seeley wildfire in20l2. The Wattis mine is located inthe Manti-La Sal National Forest about 13 miles southeast of Sþline Mine offices.

The Wattis portals are located in rugged, steep terrain about a mile from any vehicle access with a1,200 feet elevation difference between the portals and staging area. Several attempts have beenmade to smother the fire and the plan last fall was to transport two tons of pelletized bentonite topour on cracks and broadcast over the site in hopes of sealing cracks. More can be leamed aboutthis project by viewing: https://www.]¡outube.com/watch?v:IUhVzhXk5cs&feature:youtu.be

Learning that Sþline Mine had a helicopter assisted drilling proglam operating in the area,

AMRP staffcalled Gregg Galecki, Sþline Environmental Engineer, to ask for help. Greggcoordinated with the mine's drilling geologist and a time was found when the helicopter would befree for a couple of hours. AMRP's contractor, Utah Correctional Industries, provided a cost

estimate of $7,500 for helicopter transport of the bentonite to the mine fire. By piggy-backing onSþline's helicopter contract we were able to avoid minimum hour guarantees; avoid groundsupport fees; reduce travel time to the loading site; and use the mine's long line and basket. Thisresulted in a significant savings of $5,300.

2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND TINING

EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany Name: Sufco tineAddress: 597 South SR24Gity, State, Zip: Salina, UT 84654Gontact Person: Vicky tiller, Amanda RichardPhone: (435)2864481 or (435)286-{489Site Name: Skumpah Ganyon, Sevier GountyLocation: tanti La Saland Fishlake National Forcsts


Activityo Goal

GategoryOutstanding results following application of innovativeenvironmental technology

Nominated ByName: Ganyon FuelGompany, LLCAddress: 225 North 5ü StreetGity, State, Zip: Grand Junction, CO 81501Phone:

Nomination Summary (attach additionalsheets, photos, etc., as necessary)See Attached.

Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas and tining, 1594 UYest North Temple, Suite1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City, Utah 84ll¿l-5801. Phone (80f ) $8-5324Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also be submitted electronically, email [email protected]

Sufco Mine's Helicopter Assisted Coal Exploration

And Associated Special Projects,

Skumpah Canyon, Sevier County, Utah

Sufco has progressed from a large footprint when doing coal exploration drilling to the practice of doing

minimal surface disturbance and when possible leaving no footprint. Historic drilling required construction ofstaging areas, access roads and drill pads, which required acres of disturbance to soils, vegetation and at times

water courses.

ln comparison, the drilling projects now entail the laying of a water line and the delivery to the drill site of the

drill rig, associated supplies and crews by helicopter. Twelve exploration holes were drilled in 2014, see

attached drawing showing the location of sites.

Sufco's Environmental Stewardship Practices include:

The drill sites disturbed acreage range from 0.002 to 0.004 acres or 87 to 174 square feet (see photos above)

Use of pre-disturbed staging areas, such as campgrounds, road turnarounds or recreationaltrail parking areas

Site preparation includes removal of dead fall trees and brush as necessary and minor digging with hand tools

to level ground for placement of drill

Existing vegetation is retained to maintain slope stability and encourage bio filtration

A variety of wildlife stud¡es are completed at each site which are provided to state and federal agencies forinclusion in their database

Wildlife birthing exclusion periods are observed

Disturbance to wildlife by helicopter noise is usually less than two hours a day, during the drílling of 2 or 3

holes at a time

Care is given in locating drill sites to ensure soil condit¡ons will be conducive to reclamation, even sites withlimited disturbance are seeded with a native seed mix

For protection a tarp, pit liner or impermeable material is placed beneath drill rig to protect native surface

Products used at the site are evaluated and chosen for their "green qualit¡/, limiting the potential forcontamination

Water conservation is practiced, with water being recycled/recirculated on site

Contaminated water is collected in a tank and hauled for proper disposal

Contemporaneous Reclamation is performed as each hole is plugged and abandoned

Plugged holes are left flush with the ground surface and a brass tag is cemented in the top of the hole's casing.

The tag containing pertinent information will allow future location of the drill hole with the use of a GPS and a

metal detector

Sustainability Project:

ln conjunction with the 2014 drilling, the Skumpah Reservoir road was improved as was the earthen berm

around the reservoir shoreline. ln cooperation with the Division of Natural Resources and the land owners

adjacent to the road, approximately a mile of road was graded, sloped toward a defined ditch and water bars

installed. An earthen dam was reconstructed at the reservoir to increase water storage capacity, thus reducing

fish winter kill.

ln a letter from the Southern Region UDWR, Sufco was acknowledged for their "partnership and cooperation in

the Skumpah Reservoir project....improved access through road improvements provided easier access to the

reservoir for fishing and recreation. Additionally, the project provided improved water storage and a better

environment for fish growth and survival...and ensured the integrity of the reservoir for years to come."

Skumpah Creek and Reservoir provide habitat for cold water game fish, water related wildlife, and food chain

organisms.

Example of drill pad footprintprior to adopting helicopter

assisted drilling methods.

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2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND TIINING

EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany NameAddressGity, State, ZipGontact PerconPhoneSite NameLocation

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation1099 -18th Street, Suite 1800Denver, CO, 80202Jeff Dufresne720-929-6281Greater Natural Buttes FieldUintah Basin, Utah

Actlvlty and Gategory (Please check one activity and one category)

Activity. Oil and Gas - Anadarko Greater Natural Buttes; Methane Capture

During Well Cleanout Operationso Hinerals. Go¡l

Categoryo Environmental improvement to an active mine cite, drilling or

recovery site, or fieldo Outstandlng results followlng applications of innovatlve

environmental technology - lmplementation of 100% MethaneRecovery During Drillout Operations

o Outctanding final reclamation or site restoration. Best pract¡ceso Other

Nominated ByName Rob Dunleavy

GNB Asset General ManagerAnadarko Petroleum Corporation1099 18th Street, Suite 1800Denver, CO 80202720-929-6585

AddressGity, State, ZipPhone

Nomination Summary (attach additional sheets, photos, etc., as necessary)

ln an effort to mínimize emissions, Anadarko has implemented design andprocess innovations in the Greater Natural Buttes (GNB) field. When wells areready to be connected to gas pipelines and deliver natural gas to market, isolationplugs in the wells are physically drilled out to allow gas to flow. Historically, it hasbeen technically infeasible to capture all of the initial natural gas flow from wellsin which a plugs have been drilled out, Capturing all natural gas was impossiblebecause milled up pieces of these drilled out plugs would clog flow lines near thewellhead. The plugs are primarily made of composite material and some rubberelements. With the flow obstructed, initial gas could not be routed to the marketpipeline. tsy utilizing specifically designed equipment and new operationalpractices within a closed system, Anadarko has developed an innovative methodfor capturing the initial natural gas during drill out operations, resulting in zeroemissions. These innovations work together to filter and separate the plug debrisfrom the natural gas. With the removal of these obstructions, the gas can nowsuccessfully route to market. As demonstrated by the development of thesedescribed innovations, Anadarko is committed to environmental excellence andtakes pride in developing energy resources (natural gas) in an environmentallyresponsible manner

Return no later than Januery 30, 2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gasand Mining, 1594West Norfü Temple, Sulte 1210, P.O. Box 1¡[5801. Salt Lake City,Utah 84114-5801. Phone (80r) 538-5324 Fax (80t) 359€940. Nominations mayalso be submitted electron ically, emal I to jimspri ngêr@utah. gov


EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationGompany NameAddressGity, State,ZipGontact Person Danielle GavitoPhone (303)382-6793Site Name Randlett 3D GeophvsLocation(Commission) lands within Uintah and Duchesne Counties


Activity. Oiland Gas XXXX. Minerals. Goal

Gategory. Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or


environmental technologyo Outstandlng final reclamation or site restoration. Best practices XXXXX¡ Other

Nominated ByRichard MingoUtah Reclamation Mitigation &Conservation Gommission230 South 500 East Suite 230Salt Lake City, Utah 84102IILuDga(@.1!eÞJ.ltqv

Susan WhiteDOGMsusanwh rtelo)uta h. qov801-538-531 1


Crescent Point Energy U.S. Corp voluntarily avoid Flowers' Penstemon habitat whileconducting the Randlett 3D Geophysical Operations (also known a seismic survey).

Return no later than January 30, 2015 to: Earth Day Awards, Division of Oil, Gas andMining, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 1210, P.O. Box 145801. Salt Lake City, Utah84114-5801. Phone (801) 53E-5324 Fax (801) 359-3940. Nominations may also besubmitted electronically, email to i i ms pri n qer@uta h. qov

Flowers' penstemon, Penstemon flowersii, iscalled a Uintah Basin endemic plant and isknown only from the Myton-Roosevelt-Randlettvicinity on private and federal lands (Figure 1).It has relatively large pink flowers for its smallsize (up to 10 inches) and occurs on claybadlands or breaks of the Uinta Formation.There is no federal protection for the plantsince it was found not warranted for listingunder the Endangered Species Act in 2011.The Utah Native Plant Society recentlyupgraded their priority list to "extremely high"for this species due to the oil and gas activity inthe area.

The largest known concentration of Flowers'penstemon occurs on federally ownedproperties acquired as mitigation for theDuchesne River Area Canal Rehabilitation(DRACR). DRACR is a federally mandatedeffort to restore and enhance wetland, riparianand supporting upland along the DuchesneRiver in the Uinta Basin to mitigate for impactsto wetland and wildlife habitat caused byconstruction and operation of the Central UtahProject. Flowers' penstemon is found on theuplands of this project on an area called theDude Young property.

The Crescent Point Energy Randlett 3Dseismic project totals approximately 141 square miles with only 1.7 square miles on DRACRlands. Receivers were placed atapproximately 267 points persquare mile traversingnorth/south with 132 feet stationspacing and separation of 792ft.The source was approximately100 points per square miletraversing northeasUsouthwestwith 86.7 feet station spacing andline separation of 1320 feet. TheDivision issued a SeismicExploration PermiUStatement ofBasis on July 1 ,2013.

Richard Mingo, Commission, provided Crescent Point Energy with maps and shape files ofknown penstemon locations on federal lands and asked them to avoid the area during theseismic survey (Figure 2). On January 26,2015, Mr. Mingo was notified that the seismicsurvey was complete on LDWP lands and that the penstemon habitat was avoided. A postplot digital map was provided (Figure 3). Mr. Mingo said: "l was pretty happy that CrescentPoint was willing to work with us on avoiding sensitive habitat."

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2015UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND TIINING

EARTH DAY AWARDS

Nomination Form

Nominee lnformationCompany Name_Grescent Point Energy U. S. Gorp.

Address 555l7th Strcet. Suite 1800

Gity, State, Zip_Denver, Golorado 80202

Contact Person Danielle Gavito

Phone office 303-382-6793 Gell 303-601-0521

Site Name_Leland Bench

Location_Uintah GountySections 26, 35 T. 4 S, R 2 E


ActivityX Oiland Gas

. tlinerals

. Coal

GategoryX Environmental improvement to an active mine site, drilling or

recovery site, or fieldX Outstanding results following applications of innovative

environmental technology

Nominated ByName _Allan E. Smith1137 Park Ridge DR. (512-1)

C ity, State, Zip_Roosevelt, uT 84066Phone_home 435-725-3232 Cell 435-823-3231

Nomination Summary (attach additional sheets, photos, etc., as necessary)Nomination Summary and photos attached

Nomination SummaryCrescent Point Energy U.S. Corp (CPEUSC)

ln late July, 2014 I received a call from Shawn Roads of Crescent Point Energy asking me what I wanted todo with my dinosaur and lndian Rock Art in the same area. The paleontology find discovered on our privateproperty in Uintah County was considered to be the "super bowl" of paleontology along with a historic collectionof lndian rock artwhile CPEUSC was in the process of building acce$s roads to wells sites in sections 26 and35 T4S, R2E.

Crescent Pcint Energy deserves the 2015 EARTH DAY AWARD under the Categories "Environmentalimprovement to an active mine site, drilling or recovery site, or field 'and "Outstanding results followingapplications of in novative environ mental technology''.

ln both the archaeology and paleontology discovery Crescent Point Energy went above and beyond what isrequired by regulations to protect and preserve he finds.

ln2O14, Cresoent Point Energy requested that SWCA Environmental Gonsultanb visit and access the statusof a roc{< art site on private land owned by Deep Creek lnvesùnent, LLC. The site is near a new well padacoess road being developed by CPEUSC. Given the proximity of the proposed access road to the rock art,CPEUSC noted hat he proposed projec't had potential to impact this site. Because üe site is on private lands,there are no regulatory drivers requiring the CPEUSC mitigate any efbcts tothe site. Hourever, as a good-taiürefiort, CPEUSG was interested in taking action to protectthe site. Working with SWCA EnvironmentalConsultants a plan was developed to document the site, prepare a æmprehensive dust mitigation plan, monitoractive construction, and report on the scope of work completed with regard to the rock art site protection.

For úre paleontology part of my nomination, a specimen of an early camivorÞ"Miacus' Uintensis, wasdiscovered by one of üre heavy equipmentopenators priorto construction in Section 26. The specimeneventually was delivered to San Ann Bibey, Ph.D. of Uintah Paleontological Associates lnc for repair andidentification. With assistance of Dr. Peter Robinson and Evan Hall, numerous pieces were reconstructedalong with cleaning, labeling and preserving. There was one other Miacus discovered in 1894 with thepermission of the Ute Tribe. This latest discovery of a rare specimen is scientifically very important due to thepreservations of parß of he skeleton not present in he 1894 specimen.

All of üre bssils found on this project were given to us tre land owners by Crescent Point Energy suggestingthe owner, consider giving these vertebrate fossils specimens to a regional museum that holds other Uintafossils available to the scientific community br study. This area is extremely important because of iß proximity

to oher rich fossil sites. The 50 million year old camivore was fom the Eocene geologic eltt on the edge ofLake Uinta.

Because this find is so important Grescent Point Energy has agreed to do paleontology studies in the areaprior to any access road, pipe line and well site disturbance. We are very pleased with CPEUSC stepping upand going beyond what is required on private property. Just possibly other significant finds may come forth.

I would like to submit photo of boür the bssils and lndian rock artwork along witt specific examples hcnr

CPEUSC has implemented heir plan for protecting and preserving them.

2015 BOGM Day Award Rio KUC - Utah · 2015 UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MINING EARTH DAY AWARDS...

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Transcript of 2015 BOGM Day Award Rio KUC - Utah · 2015 UTAH BOARD OF OIL, GAS AND MINING EARTH DAY AWARDS...