20020408 Ver 2_Individual_20150929

VMC Rockingham Quarry Expansion 2015
Project Alternatives
Area 0-1 - Improve and replace road crossing_ over Lonq_ Branch Pond (Pond 2)
1. No action alternative.
Will not satisfy project purpose and need. Will not improve safety or visibility of road crossing.
Will not accommodate safe passing of haul vehicles traveling in opposite directions.
2. Expand road crossing to the south of existing crossing.
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact an existing forested wetland within a beaver
pond that has a higher aquatic function and value.
3. Expand road crossing to the north with staged culvert.
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact a man -made open water pond with lower
aquatic function and values. Will allow the possibility of returning Long Branch to its former
alignment as a stream with minimal sidestream wetland.
Will not satisfy design engineering requirements to prevent overtopping of roadway by storm
events. Could be subject to blockage by beavers.
4. Expand road crossing entirely to the north with twin open culverts.
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact a man -made open water pond with lower
aquatic function and values. Will allow the possibility of returning approximately 100 If of Long
Branch to its former alignment as a stream at the downstream end by removing abandoned
crossing.
Will reduce likelihood of overtopping of roadway by storm events. Will minimize the likelihood
of blockage by beavers.
Area S -1 and W -1. Improve road crossing_ over perennial tributary_ and wetland
(Transect S -5)
1. No action alternative
Will not satisfy project purpose and need. Will not improve safety or visibility of road crossing.
Will not accommodate safe passing of haul vehicles traveling in opposite directions.
2. Expand road crossing entirely to the north
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact an existing perennial stream and wetland
with a moderate aquatic function and value.
Will require additional impacts to nearby stream and will require significant realignment of
existing stream to accommodate culvert.
3. Expand road crossing entirely to the south
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact an existing perennial stream with a moderate
aquatic function and value.
Will require additional impacts to nearby stream and will require significant realignment of
existing stream to accommodate topography.
3. Expand road crossing to the north and to the south of existing crossing.
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will impact an existing perennial stream with a moderate
aquatic function and value.
Will avoid and minimize additional impacts to nearby stream and wetland. Minimizes impact to
existing stream to accommodate topography.

Area W -2 and S -2. Expand overburden storage area
(Wetland 513 and Stream Transect S -4)
1. No action alternative
Will not satisfy project purpose and need.
1. Reduce footprint area alternative
Will partially satisfy project purpose and need. Will not provide needed overburden storage
volume.
3. Expand overburden storage to the north
Will result in a greater amount of stream impact and less overall storage volume.
4. Expand to the south with reduced stream and wetland impact.
Will partially satisfy project purpose and need. Will not provide needed overburden storage
volume.
5. Expand to the south with proposed stream and wetland impact.
Will satisfy project purpose and need. Will provide needed overburden storage volume.
Individual Permit Application item 5a - Permittee responsible mitigation plan
Foillowing construction of the new road crossing of Long Branch Pond 2, the existing crossing
will be lowered and restored so that approximately 100 linear feet of the length of stream will
become open channel again. The banks of the new channel segment will be planted with
native vegetation for a distance of approximately 25 feet on either side of the OHWM. This will
create new sidestream buffer area from open water and improve the aquatic functions of the
stream.
The surrounding watershed has been reviewed using GIS capabilities by Carolina Wetland
Services in 2007 for offsite mitigation opportunities of stream and wetland restoration or
enhancement. Each of the identified sites has been evaluated for mitigation potential to offset
unavoidable impacts resulting from quarry expansion. It has been determined that none of the
identified sites would provide a suitable mitigation opportunity at this time.
Cumulative Historical Impacts
The original realignment of Highway 1117 and quarry expansion in 1995 utilized a NWP 26 for
the authorization of 2.6 acres of impacts to Waters of the U.S. for road relocation, overburden
storage area expansion, and railroad spur construction. Although this amount was authorized,
a revision to the plans reduced the amount of actual impacts by approximately 1.0 acre.
Therefore, a total of approximately 1.6 acres of impacts have occurred historically on this site.

Future Cumulative Impacts
This application is specifically for those impacts that are necessary to achieve the near term
Five Year Plan which is a portion of the 30 Year Mine Plan Permit as previously approved by
the NCDENR. The total proposed impacts for the Five Year Plan are as follows:
Road Crossing at 0-1 0.71 acre open water impact with fill and culverts
Road Crossing at S -1 135 linear feet of perennial stream impact with culvert
Overburden Storage at S -2 2,422 linear feet of perennial stream impact with fill
Overburden Storage at W -1 0.03 acre impact to forested wetland with fill
Overburden Storage at W -2 0.85 acre impact to forested wetland with fill
Future impacts anticipated through year 2023 and through year 2035 are shown on the
attached table. These figures are only estimates at this point and are dependent on many
variables. The figures shown are based only on the estimated amount of area that will be
needed for quarry expansion, overburden storage needs, and the existing amount of land
available. Nearby property is being reviewed or considered for purchase or lease that could
significantly affect the amount of proposed impacts. This information is not known at this time.
There are no indirect impacts known at this time for this property. Offsite indirect impacts could
result from the use of sold material on projects over which this applicant has no control.