20220207_ADI

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
BRIAN WRENN
Director
Certified Mail
Return Receipt Requested
7008 1300 0000 1127 1562
Kenneth Waycaster Jr.
Waycaster Stone Co Inc.
5455 US Hwy 221 North
Marion, NC 28752
RE: Mountain Mist Mine
McDowell County
Catawba River Basin
Dear Mr. Waycaster:
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NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
February 7, 2022
We have reviewed the application your company submitted for the referenced mine site. In order for this office to
complete its review of the referenced project in accordance with G.S. §74-50 and §74-51 of the Mining Act of 1971,
please provide the additional or revised information in accordance with the following comments:
1. The reclamation cross section on the map received on December 19, 2021, matches exactly the cross
section from the map submitted with the application on August 26, 2021, and appears to show a cross
section of existing contours. The reclamation map must show post mining site conditions.
2. Please clearly indicate and label on the reclamation any roads to be left as part of reclamation.
Please clearly indicate and label on the reclamation map the locations of all waste areas as indicated in
the mining permit application in section DA. Waste area 1 on the mine map does not appear on the
reclamation map.
4. Please clarify the response on the mine permit application section D.5 that states, "Any and all buildings
usable as real property will remain intact" and the response on the last submission dated December 10,
2021, on item 7 that states "There are no buildings planned for the mine." These statements are in
conflict with each other.
Please provide a habitat evaluation for the listed plants included in the additional information letter
dated October 7, 2021 or provide correspondence from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that
states one is not necessary. You may contact Rebekah Reid Rebekah_reidnfws.gov, phone: 828-258-
3939 x42238, of the USFWS for more information. Please reference Log Number 4-2-21-412
Please note, this office may request additional information, not included in this letter, as the mining application
review progresses. Be advised that our review cannot be completed until all of the items listed above have been
fully addressed.
D E Q North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1 1612 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1612
NORhI CAROLINA -
oaPermemoieomronmenmiuuaiity /`� 919.707.9200

Certified Mail
Mr. Waycaster
Page 2
In order to complete the processing of your application, please forward two (2) copies of the requested information
to my attention at the following address:
Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources
Department of Environmental Quality
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612
As required by 15A NCAC 513.0113, you are hereby advised that you have 180 days from the date of your receipt
of this letter to submit all of the requested information. If you are unable to meet this deadline and wish to request
additional time, you must submit information, in writing, to the Director clearly indicating why the deadline cannot
be met and request that an extension of time be granted. If an extension of time is not granted, a decision will be
made to grant or deny the mining permit based upon the information currently in the Department's files at the end
of the 180-day period.
Though the preceding statement cites the maximum time limit for your response, we encourage you to provide the
additional information requested by this letter as soon as possible. Your prompt response will help us to complete
processing your application sooner.
Please contact me at [phone] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Adam Parr, PE
Assistant State Mining Engineer
cc: Ms. Shawna Riddle