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• topsoil removal operation begins where the previous year's operation left off and proceeds through the <br />area where overburden drilling and blasting is projected to be during the fallowing June-July (refer to <br />Maps M10 series). Because these operations require this type of scheduling, a fairly large area where <br />topsoil has already been salvaged is maintained in front of each pit. For the most part, development <br />drilling is confined to this area and the concentration of the drilling is at the expected pit ends. (This is <br />where the croplines and economic stripping limits occur). <br />Some development drilling occurs outside of the topsoiled area but is still contained within the permit <br />area. Development drilling varies each year, but is usually no more than two hundred sites. Each site, <br />which is approximately .25 to .33 acres in size, may include two development drill holes. One is a <br />plug-drilled hole and, if required the second is a cored hole. Seating, casing, reclamation and <br />appropriate management of development drill holes are discussed in Section 3.3.2. <br />In any given year, under the most extreme conditions, the most coal removed by development drilling is <br />less than 15 tons. This estimate, assumes a maximum of 400 holes per year, an average of 10 feet of <br />coal per hole, and a maximum hole size of 5-91e, diameter. <br />Blowout control at the Trapper Mine is not necessary and will not be used. The Trapper Mine mine plan <br />area is located on the south flank of the Big Bottom Syncline. This type of geological location is not <br />typical of oil or gas producing areas. To date, drill data do not show any indications of gas or oil <br />deposits within the mine plan area, and there are no indications of geothermal resources. <br />This section shall satisfy the regulatory authority's requirements that written notice of intention to <br />explore for coal be submitted prior to exploration. The type of drilling to be conducted will be within the <br />mine permit area (refer to Map M4) and is referred to as development drilling rather than exploration <br />drilling. (See Section 3.6.3.9 for additional details.) <br />3-23 'PVISi0N APPP, VED <br />•; i?:;TE