20210825_ADI_Received

August 11, 2021
Mr. Adam Parr, Assistant State Mining Engineer
Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612
RE: Tara Group Mine
Bladen County
Cape Fear River Basin
Dear Mr. Parr:
Tara Group of Lumberton, Inc.
2700 NC Highway 72W
Lumberton, NC 28360
RECEi� "7
AN 2 0 INN
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We are in receipt of your June 11, 2021 letter in which you requested additional or revised
information related to your review of our pending mining permit application. We offer the following
responses for your consideration:
1. It is difficult to determine if there are wetlands associated with the stream. Please provide a
valid wetland delineation.
RESPONSE: Per your request, we solicited the wetland expertise of Mr. Samuel Adam Carter of
Wetland Solutions, LLC to address this concern. Mr. Carter visited the site on July 15, 2021 and
evaluated the stream and associated wetlands present at the site. Mr. Carter mapped the
stream and associated wetlands — see attached report and associated maps— and provided a
GIS layer containing the wetland boundaries that we have incorporated Into the revised mine
plan set. As a result of this refined wetland delineation, we adjusted the location of the haul
road and associated bridged stream crossing so that both bridge abutments would be clearly
outside of any wetland areas. In addition, we moved the corners of the initial pit and the pit
expansion and associated berms farther away from these identified wetlands In order to
continue to provide a 50-foot undisturbed buffer. Please see the attached revised mine plan set
for more details.
As a result of the above adjustments, there were some adjustments required to the acreage
figures provided in the acreage charts in the revised mine plan set. This also precipitated the
need to recalculate the reclamation bond amount required to cover all affected acreage at the
site. The revised bond calculation worksheet is attached for your review and use.
2. Please clarify your response to question C.12 of the mine permit application, where you checked
no fuel tanks will be stored on site but explain that they will be stored on site with required spill
prevention and secondary containment structures.
RESPONSE: The response to question C.12 of the mine permit application is correct in that no
fuel tanks will be stored onslte. The description under question C.12 has been revised to clarify
this intention. A corrected page 12 Is attached for your files.
RECEIVE®
AUG 2 5 2021
LAND QUALITY
MINING PROGRAM

Mr. Adam Parr
Page 2
3. Please indicate and label on the mine map the location of the fuel, solvent, or other chemical
reagent storage facility.
RESPONSE: As no fuel tanks or other chemicals will be stored onsite, no changes are needed to
the mine plan set regarding this item.
4. Please clarify whether the LCID material brought onsite will be utilized in the reclamation as an
LCID landfill or will only be used for recycling and resale.
RESPONSE: As noted in the response to Question D.E., no LCID material will be brought onto the
site until proper approvals have been obtained from both the Division of Waste Management
(DWM) and the Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) via a mining permit
modification at a later date.
Once permitted by DWM and DEMLR, only clean land clearing debris and used concrete will be
brought onto the site, stockpiled on top of the ground, and processed/recycled into saleable
products. No LCID material will be buried, placed in the mine excavations, or remain onsite at
the time of final reclamation. Any unsold material will be removed from the site and properly
disposed.
Please note that the above clarifications have been incorporated into the Construction
Sequence and Notes within the revised mine plan set.
S. Please provide an application fee in the amount of $3,400. VP "C* J q(,W " m U �"� 4 t A "'f'
RESPONSE: Per your request, attached is the requi $3,400 fee check. Please destroy the - U �/1I000UI/4
existing $5,000 fee check that was submitted the initial application submittal. l
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request for additional information. If you
should have any further questions, please contact Mr. Davis at [phone]. We look forward to
receiving the draft mining permit and confirmed reclamation bond amount in the near future.
Attachments:
Sincerely,
Charlie Andrews
Tara Group of Lumberton, Inc.
Revised Mine Plan Set
Wetland Solutions, LLC Wetland Delineation Report and Maps
Revised Bond Calculation Worksheet
Revised Page 12 of the Application

SOLUTIONS LLC
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P.O. Box 244 Bunnlevel, NC 28323 [phone]
7/20/2021
Subject:404/401 Wetland Investigation
Re: Tara Group Mine
226 Tarheel Road, Tarheel, NC
Tarheel- Bladen County, NORTH CAROLINA
PIN:035500316187
Michael T Blakley
Draft and Design Services, Inc
6728 Carbonton Rd
Sanford, NC 27330
919 499 8759
Mr. Blakley,
A site investigation has been conducted for the above referenced property, located North of Water Tower
Road, Moncure, NC 28557 ("site'). The purpose of this investigation was to determine the existence and
extent of areas that exhibit the characteristics of jurisdictional wetlands under Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act. All wetland investigations were completed in accordance with the 1987 US Army Corps of
Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual and the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland
Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region (Version 2.0). All stream assessments were
determined by N.C. Stream Assessment Method (NC SAM).
This report represents my professional opinion that areas that clearly meet the required criteria for
jurisdictional wetlands were observed. These criteria include hydric soils, hydrophytic vegetation and wetland
hydrology. Please see attached wetland map attached with this memo.
I appreciate the opportunity to provide this service and trust that you will feel free to call on me again in the
future. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Samuel Adam Carter
Senior Environmental Scientist

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Project Location s National'Geographic Esn, Garmin, HERE, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA,
re MET], NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA;-increment P Corp.
Project Name: Tara Group Mine N
Location: 2161 Tarheel Road, Tarheel, Bladen County, NC w
PIN:035500316187 5 Figure: 1
P.D. Box 244 0 1 2 3 4 5 Miles 22 July 2021
Bunnlevel, NC 28323

APPLICATION FOR A MINING PERMIT
E. DETERMINATION OF AFFECTED ACREAGE AND BOND
The following bond calculation worksheet is to be used to establish an appropriate bond (based upon a range
of S500 to S5, 000 per affected acre) for each permitted mine site based upon the acreage approved by the
Department to be affected during the life of the m ining perm it. Please insert the approximate acreage, for each
aspect ofthe mining operation that you intend to a ect during the life of this mining permit (in addition, please
insert the appropriate reclamation cost/acre for each category from the Schedule of Reclamation Costs
provided with this a�pli� form) OR you can defer to the Department to calculate your bond for you based
yRon your maps and standard reclamation costs:
AFFECTED RECLAMATION RECLAMATION
CATEGORY ACREAGE COST/ACRE* COST
Tailings/Sediment Ponds: 1.4 Ac. X $ 500 /Ac. _ $ 700
Stockpiles: 0.9 Ac. X $ 1,800 /Ac. _ $ 1,620
Wastepiles: 0 Ac. X $ 0 /Ac. _ $ 0
Processing Area/Haul Roads: 1.0 Ac. X $ 1,800 /Ac. _ $ 1,800
Mine Excavation: 19.2 Ac. X $ 500 /Ac. _ $ 9,600
Other: (Berms, Diversions, Etc.) 9.3 Ac. X $ 2,000 /Ac. _ $ 18,600
TOTAL AFFECTED AC.: 31.8 Ac.
(TOTAL PERMITTED AC.: 42.8 Ac.)
Temporary & Permanent Sedimentation & Erosion Control Measures:
Divide the TOTAL AFFECTED AC. above into the following two categories: a) affected acres that drain into
proposed/existing excavation and/or b) affected acres that will be graded for positive drainage where measures will
be needed to prevent offsite sedimentation and sedimentation to onsite watercourses and wetlands.
a) Internal Drainage 26.2 Ac.
b) Positive Drainage 5.6 Ac. X $ l ,500.00 = $ 8,400
SUBTOTAL COST: $ 40,720
Inflation Factor:
0.02 X SUBTOTAL COST: $ 814.40 X Permit Life Provided by Applicant (Life of the Mining
Operation or Life of Lease from Public Entity (in Years)): 10
INFLATION COST: $ 8,144
Total Reclamation Bond Cost: $ 48,800
(round down to the nearest $100.00)
(NOTE: The reclamation bond cannot exceed $1 million per GS 74-54)
—16—

APPLICATION FOR A MINING PERMIT
9. Are acid producing minerals or soils present? Yes ❑ No Z.
If yes, how will acid water pollution from the excavation, stockpiles and waste areas be controlled?
10. a. Describe specific plans (including a schedule of implementation) for screening the operation from
public view such as maintaining or planting trees, bushes or other vegetation, building berms or
other measures. Show the location of all visual screening on the mine maps) and provide cross -
sections through all proposed berms or proposed spacing, sizes and species for tree plantings.
Vegetated earthen berms will be constructed and stabilized with vegetation around the entire
perimeter of the mining operation to screen the operation from view of the public.
b. Could the operation have a significantly adverse effect on the purposes of a publicly owned park,
forest or recreation area? If so, how will such effects (i.e., noise, visibility, etc.) be mitigated?
There are no known publicly owned parks, forests, or recreation areas in close proximity to this
proposed mining operation.
11. Will explosives be used? Yes ❑ No S.
If yes, specify the types of explosive(s) and describe what precaution(s) will be used to prevent physical
hazard to persons or neighboring property from flying rocks or excessive air blasts or ground vibrations.
Depending on the mine's location to nearby structures, more detailed technical information may be
required on the blasting program (such as a third -party blasting study). Locate the nearest offsite occupied
structures) to the proposed excavation(s) on the mine map and indicate its approximate distance to the
proposed excavation.
12. Will fuel tanks, solvents, or other chemical reagents be stored on -site? Yes ❑ No ®.
Ifyes, describe these materials, how they will be stored and method of containment in case of spill. Indicate
the location(s) of all storage facilities on the mine map(s).
No fuel tanks, solvents or other chemical reagents will be stored on -site. Fuel and other operational and
maintenance items will be brought onto the site for direct service to the equipment, then removed from the
site and properly stored offsite.