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4.Environmental Analysis up to 2,000 pounds of almonds per acre(lbs/ac) or 10 tons of alfalfa per acre(tons/ac). These — yields are considered relatively high when compared to other naturally occurring soil types within San Joaquin County. The physical and chemical makeup of the soil materials within the upper soil horizon may change during stockpiling. Improper soil stockpiling and management of the stockpiles could result in increased decomposition of soil organic materials, increased leaching of plant-available nitrogen and depletion of soil biota communities4 (e.g.,Rhizobium or Frankia).Each could have an adverse effect on the future productivity of the soil stockpiles. This impact is considered potentially significant. Implementation of the following mitigation would reduce this impact to a less-than-significant level. Mitigation Measures Measure 4.3.4: The Reclamation Plan for the proposed project shall be modified to — incorporate elements of a comprehensive soil resource extraction, maintenance and reintroduction plan.The ultimate goal of the plan will be to ensure the future productivity of the soil resource and its availability for future agricultural cultivation in compliance with the performance standards for prime agricultural land reclamation,Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 3707 and 3711. At a minimum,the plan shall consist of the following elements: a. Existing Conditions.This element of the plan shall identify the existing soil fertility in terms of pertinent soil physical,chemical, and biological attributes. It will identify the soil attributes that are most able to be maintained during the 30-to 60-year life of the mining plan and will be used as the baseline, with which to compare the soil resource following reclamation and better enable rehabilitation of the mining site. b. Soil Harvesting and Transport. This element will identify appropriate soil harvesting and transport methods to limit the compaction of the soil resource,maintain the existing soil profile, and to the extent feasible during transport,ensure the viability of existing soil biota. C. Soil Stockpile Maintenance and Monitoring.This element of the plan will outline performance standards and monitoring procedures for the soil stockpiles over the 30- to 60-year life of the proposed mining plan. In general,this element will identify suitable vegetative species (e.g., legumes)to be planted on the soil stockpiles, monitoring protocols for any periodic analytical analysis determined necessary, and procedures for conducting periodic soil microbiology cultures. This element will also identify watering requirements for the stockpiles and protocols for pest and invasive species control. d. Reclamation Activities.Following the completion of mining activities, site reclamation shall consist of preparing the site for agriculture. Soil tests and climatic studies of the reclaimed sites shall be systematically performed to ensure that soil — compatibility is suitable for a production level present prior to mining. An evaluation 4 Nitrogen cannot be weathered out of most rock,but rather is biologically introduced into the soil resource. — Rhizobium(a nitrogen-fixing bacteria)and Frankia(a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete)are two common species that infect various plant species[e.g.,clover(Trifolium)or alder(Alms)]and are able to,through a symbiotic relationship,fix atmospheric nitrogen by incorporating it into organic compounds(e.g.,proteins). RMC Pacific Vemalis Quarry Mining and Rectamalion Proiect 4.3-12 ESA 1203015 Draft Environmental Impact Report May 2006