20230728_NCWRC

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
MEMORANDUM
TO: Adam Parr
Assistant State Mining Engineer
Land Quality Section
FROM: Olivia Munzer
Western Piedmont Coordinator
Habitat Conservation
DATE: 28 July 2023
SUBJECT: New Mining Permit for Keller Mining, Inc.—Wallace Road Sand Mine,Rowan County,
North Carolina. Permit No. 80-32.
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission(NCWRC)have reviewed the subject
permit application. Our comments are provided in accordance with provisions of the Mining Act of 1971
(as amended, 1982) (G.S. 74-46 through 74-68 15 NCAC 5).
Keller Mining,Inc. is applying for a permit because of a Notice of Violation for the Wallace Road Sand
Mine located at 5830 Wright Road in Kannapolis, Rowan County,North Carolina. The proposed
permitted area is 24.90 acres. The expected maximum depth of the mine is 25 feet.
Mill Creek in the Yadkin—Pee Dee River basin flows through the site. Mill Creek is classified as a Water
Supply II and High Quality Water by the North Carolina Division of Water Resources.We have records
for the state special concern Carolina darter(Etheostoma collis)in Mill Creek. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service(USFWS)lists the endangered Schweinitz's sunflower(Helianthus schweinitzii),proposed
endangered tricolored bat(Perimyotis subflavus),and candidate monarch butterfly(Danaus plexippus)
have the potential to occur at the site if suitable habitat is present.We recommend contacting the USFWS
to ensure that any issues related to these species are addressed. An on-site survey is the only definitive
means to determine if the proposed project would impact rare,threatened,or endangered species.
1. Maintain a minimum 100-foot undisturbed native forested buffer between the mining activity and
the stream.
2. All stormwater outlets should drain through a vegetated upland area prior to reaching any stream
or wetland area. Sufficient retention designs should be implemented to allow for the slow
discharge of storm water, attenuating the potential adverse effects of storm-water surges;thermal
spikes; and sediment,nutrient, and chemical discharges.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh,NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

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28 July 2023
Wallace Road Sand Mine
Permit No. 80-32
3. Avoid tree clearing activities during the maternity roosting season for bats(May 15—August 15)
because of the decline in populations of several tree-roosting bat species,including the tricolored
bat.
4. We do not recommend planting non-native, invasive species such as tall fescue. Instead,we
recommend native warm season grasses such as yellow Indiangrass,little bluestem, switchgrass,
big bluestem, eastern gamagrass,and sideoats grama. They require lower fertilizer amounts to be
productive and they are drought tolerant(hgps://www.ncwildlife.org/CURE/CURE-Farm-
Map/Pasture-Mana ems).
5. If the reclaimed area is grazed by cattle,we recommend excluding the cattle from accessing the
stream to prevent impacts to stream water quality and stability.
6. Avoid using an erosion control blanket(excelsior)with plastic netting. Erosion control blankets
with plastic or metal netting or mesh can entangle and kill wildlife. When plastic netting is
degraded,plastic fragments can wash into streams and cause additional hazards. The use of
biodegradable and wildlife-friendly sediment and erosion control devices is strongly
recommended. Silt fencing, fiber rolls and/or other products should have loose-weave netting
that is made of natural fiber materials with movable joints between the vertical and horizontal
twines. Sediment and erosion control structures should be maintained to minimize impacts to the
stream from silt and sediment loads.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this new permit. If I can be of further assistance,please call
[phone] or email olivia.munzer(c-r�,ncwildlife.org.