2014-11-17_PERMIT FILE - C1982056A (2)

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6 -Main North Ventilation Installation (TR05 -48) Construction of the 6 -Main North Ventilation Shaft will result in approximately 13.5 acres of disturbance for the shaft pad and associated access road. An upland and alluvial valley floor (AVF) soils investigation was previously conducted along Fish Creek for areas to be affected by proposed construction of two ventilation shaft installations, the 18 -Right Intake Shaft, and the 6 -Main North Ventilation Shaft, and the associated access roads. The soils investigation was conducted in full compliance with the AVF requirements contained in Section 2.06.8 of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. Soil descriptions were recorded from 12 continuous soil cores located along the proposed road corridors and within the vent shaft disturbance areas within and adjacent to the previously delineated Fish Creek AVF. Representative soil core sample sites were located in TSN, R86W, Section 11 (Map IS, 18 Right Bleeder Shaft) and Section 17 (Map EX16E -M1, 6 -North Mains Intake Shaft). The soil investigations were conducted on October 21 and 22, 2003 by Kenneth E. Carlson, of Habitat Management, Inc., a Certified Professional Soil Scientist ( #2824). The detailed report of the investigations is provided in Exhibit 16C, RAG Twentymile Coal Company, Fish Creek Shaft & Access Road Soil Investigation, Routt County, Colorado, dated October 2003. The soils investigations and results, covering the two shaft installations and associated roads, are summarized under the previous discussion for the 18 -Right Bleeder Shaft. Given that soil cores 9 -12 fell within the proposed facilities and road disturbance areas for the 6 -Main North Intake Shaft installation, the soils investigation results specific to these cores are relevant to this project site. Detail maps for the soils investigations for the 6 -Main North Ventilation Installation are provided in Exhibit 16E. WMD (Panels 12 -Left through 17 -Left, PR06 -07, PR09 -08) The existing facilities currently in place at TCC will be used to support mining of coal in the WMD. TCC does not anticipate the need to construct any new surface facilities, therefore, no response is required for this rule. is 18 -Left Ventilation Shaft Installation (TR09 -66) Development of the 18 -Left Shaft Installation will result in a total disturbance of approximately 5.6 acres. Both the proposed disturbance area and the larger 54 -acre soils study area were evaluated and mapped by the original baseline soils survey for the Foidel Creek Mine (refer to Map 17 and Exhibits 15 and 16). A more detailed upland soils survey was conducted for the study area in early November 2008 by Kenneth Carlson, a Certified Professional Soil Scientist ( #2824) with Habitat Management, Inc. The detailed soil survey involved review of existing Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) mapping and soils descriptions for the area; field verification of mapping unit boundaries; and completion, evaluation, and documentation of six continuous soil cores. Soil cores were advanced to a depth of 60 inches, a lithic contact, or the upper bound of the soil parent material. Soil cores were described by horizon, consistent with NRCS soil survey procedures. As anticipated for an upland area, no water was encountered in any of the soils borings. A detailed report of the soils investigations is provided in Exhibit 16G, 18 -Left Ventilation Shaft - Soils Investigations. The primary identified soil types included; Binco silty clay loam, 12 -25 percent slopes (Map Unit D10); Binco silty clay loam, 3 -12 percent slopes (Map Unit C10); and Elkhead clay loam, 0 -5 percent slope (Map Unit 110a). The study area also included small inclusions of a saline seep soil and Cumulic Craquoll soil, neither of which will be disturbed, and approximately 4.4 acres of previously disturbed soils, a portion of which may be affected by road construction activities. The only suitability limitations identified are for the Elkhead clay loam and small inclusion of saline seep soils, which will not be directly disturbed, but could be affected by site drainage. Any limitations will be addressed by site drainage and sediment control plans. Rule 2.04.10 - Vegetation Information .(1) The permit application shall contain a vegetation map, prepared in accordance with 2.10, which delineates plant communities within the permit area, or in case of underground mining, any area to be affected by surface operations or facilities, and within any proposed reference area(s). The delineation of plant communities shall be on the basis of the visually dominant perennial species. PR09 -08 2.04 -50.3 04/10/09