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Operators shall obtain any and all permits and approvals required by other agencies having jurisdiction over the proposed mining operations and shall provide copies to the County.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
Surface mining permits and permits for aggregate processing facilities shall be approved for a maximum of thirty (30) years. Extensions of the permits, for up to twenty (20) years, may be granted, subject to further environmental review and discretionary approval by the County. All surface mining permits shall be subject to annual reporting requirements, as well as review by the County every ten (10) years, to account for changing regulatory requirements.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
If any off-channel excavation proposes to extend below the level of seasonal high groundwater, then six (6) months prior to the commencement of excavation below the average high groundwater level, the operator shall identify and locate all off-site municipal wells within one thousand (1,000) feet and all domestic wells within five hundred (500) feet of the proposed wet pit mining boundary. If active wells are identified, well characteristics (pumping rate, depth, and locations of screens) shall be determined. If wells are not located within one thousand (1,000) feet, the pre- mining impact evaluation shall be considered complete.
If wet pit mining is proposed within one thousand (1,000) feet of a municipal water supply or within five hundred (500) feet of a domestic water supply well, a capture zone analysis shall be conducted using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency model WHPA (or a similar model of equal capability and proven reliability, as approved by the Director). The simulation shall assume thirty (30) days of continuous pumping of the water supply well (at its maximum probable yield) under analysis. A mining setback shall be established so that the capture zone and the pit do not coincide. Alternatively, the operator shall submit a written agreement that the well owner has agreed to relocate or redesign the well, or accept the potential impact (at no expense to the County). The analysis shall be prepared and signed by a Registered Civil Engineer or Certified Hydrogeologist and submitted to the County for review and approved at least six (6) months prior to the commencement of excavation below the seasonal high groundwater level.
Any new drinking water wells proposed for installation within one thousand (1,000) feet of an approved wet pit mining area shall be subject to review by the Yolo County Environmental Health Department. The County shall determine, based on site-specific hydrogeology and available water quality data, whether to approve the proposed well installation. Analysis of environmental impact for projects in the vicinity of the wet pits shall include consideration of potential water quality impacts on the open water bodies.
The County may retain appropriate staff or a contract consultant to provide third party critical review of all hydrogeologic reports related to mining applications.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
At least one toilet shall be provided for each off-channel mining operation. Chemical toilets shall be properly maintained and serviced regularly. Permanent toilets shall be properly engineered and the design approved by the Yolo County Building Official and the Environmental Health Division prior to installation. All on-site water storage facilities shall be labeled "potable" or "nonpotable."
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
All off-channel surface mining operations shall comply with the following setbacks:
(a) New processing plants and material stockpiles shall be located a minimum of one thousand (1,000) feet from public rights-of-way, public recreation areas, and/or off-site residences, unless alternate measures to reduce potential noise, dust, and aesthetic impacts are developed and implemented;
(b) Soil stockpiles shall be located a minimum of five hundred (500) feet from public rights-of-way, public recreation areas, and off-site residences, unless alternate measures to reduce potential dust and aesthetic impacts are developed and implemented;
(c) Off-channel excavations shall maintain a minimum one thousand (1,000) foot setback from public rights-of-way and adjacent property lines of off-site residences, unless a landscaped buffer is provided or site-specific characteristics reduce potential aesthetic impacts. Where landscaped buffers are proposed, the setback for off-channel excavations may be reduced to a minimum of fifty (50') feet from either the property line or the adjoining right-of-way, whichever is greater. Where mining occurs within one thousand (1,000) feet of a public right-of-way, operators shall phase mining such that no more than fifty (50) acres of the area that lies within one thousand (1,000) feet of the right-of-way would be actively disturbed at any time, except where operations are adequately screened from public view. Where adequate screening exists in the form of mature vegetation and/or constructed berms that effectively block public views, the area of active disturbance within one thousand (1,000) feet of the right-of-way shall not exceed the area that is screened by more than fifty (50) acres at any one time. Actively disturbed areas are defined as those on which mining operations of any kind, or the implementation of reclamation such as grading, seeding, or installation of plant material are taking place.
(d) Off-channel excavations shall provide a minimum fifty (50) foot setback from the neighboring property line to allow for access around the pit during mining and after reclamation for maintenance, safety, and other purposes.
(e) Proposed off-channel excavations located within the streamway influence zone shall be set back a minimum of seven hundred (700) feet from the existing channel bank, unless it is demonstrated that a smaller distance will not adversely affect channel stability. Under no circumstances should off-channel excavations be located within two hundred (200) feet of the existing channel bank. Evaluations of proposed off-channel excavations within seven hundred (700) feet of the channel bank shall demonstrate, at a minimum, the following:
(1) The two-hundred (200) foot setback area does not include portions of the historically active channel.
(2) The two-hundred (200) foot setback area does not include formerly mined lands separated from the active channel by levees or unmined areas less than two-hundred (200) feet wide (measured perpendicular to the active channel).
(3) Acceptable channel hydraulic conditions (based on existing or site-specific hydraulic models) for the Cache Creek channel adjacent to the site and extending not less than one thousand (1,000) feet upstream and downstream of the site.
(4) Acceptable level of erosion potential of the channel bank adjacent to the site based on predicted stream flow velocity and shear stress on bank materials during a 100-year flow and historical patterns of erosion.
(5) Acceptable level of stability of the slopes separating the mining area from the creek channel based on an analytical slope stability analysis in conformance with Sections 10-4.426 and 10-5.517 of this title that includes evaluation of stability conditions during 100-year peak flows in the channel.
(6) Appropriate bank stabilization designs, if needed, consistent with channel design recommendations of the Cache Creek Resource Management Plan or approved by the Technical Advisory Committee.
(7) The condition of flood protection structures and the integrity of the land within the approved setback zone separating the mining areas and the channel shall be inspected annually by a Registered Civil Engineer and reported to the Director. The annual report shall include recommendations for remedial action for identified erosion problems (see also Reclamation Ordinance Section 10-5.506).
Approval of any off-channel mining project located within seven hundred (700) feet of the existing channel bank shall be contingent upon an enforceable agreement which requires the project operator to participate in the completion of identified channel improvement projects along the frontage of their property, consistent with the CCRMP and CCIP, including implementation of the Channel Form Template. The agreement shall require that the operator provide a bond or other financial instrument for maintenance during the mining and reclamation period of any bank stabilization features required of the mining project. The agreement shall also require that a deed restriction be placed on the underlying property which requires maintenance of the streambank protection by future owners of the property. Maintenance of the bank stabilization features following completion of reclamation shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
(f) Off-channel excavations shall be set back a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from riparian vegetation; and
(g) Recreational facilities shall be located a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet from private dwellings, with a landscaped buffer provided to reduce noise and maintain privacy, unless the dwelling is proposed to be an integral component of the recreational facility.
(h) No mining activities shall occur within two thousand (2,000) feet of the community boundaries of Capay, Esparto, Madison, Woodland, and/or Yolo. This setback may be reduced by up to five hundred (500) feet when existing mature vegetation, proposed landscape buffers of a sufficient height and density to create a visual buffer (consisting of native species and fence-row habitat appropriate to the area), or other site-specific characteristics reduce potential incompatibilities between urban land uses and mining. Commercial mining shall not take place east of County Road 96.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
During operations, the site shall be kept free of debris and maintained in a neat and orderly manner so as not to create any hazardous or unsightly conditions. All overburden shall be stockpiled and all stumps, brush, or other debris resulting from excavation and/or processing shall be properly disposed.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
Except where benches are used, all banks above groundwater level shall be sloped no steeper than 2:1 (horizontal:vertical). Proposed steeper slopes shall be evaluated by a slope stability study, prepared by a Registered Civil Engineer, Certified Engineering Geologist, or Professional Geologist. Slopes below the groundwater level shall be no steeper than 1:1 (horizontal:vertical). Slopes located five (5') feet or less below the summer low groundwater level shall not be steeper than 2:1 (horizontal:vertical). This section applies only to final/reclaimed slopes and not to active mining faces.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
Soil shall be cut in maximum depths in order to minimize traffic and limit compaction. The handling and transportation of soil shall be minimized. To the extent feasible, all handling of topsoil shall be accomplished when the soil is dry in order to avoid undue compaction.
(§ 1, Ord. 1190, eff. September 5, 1996; as amended by Ord. 1518, eff. February 13, 2020)
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