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Reclamation <br />The design of the gob pile in 2003 was a 10 year design. At the time of this writing, the <br />gob pile is approaching its ultimate capacity. To reclaim the entire gob pile, <br />approximately 3.5 feet of coverfill and 0.5 feet of topsoil will be placed on the completed <br />construction face. See Appendix A for a material balance. The completed construction <br />face will be prepared and seeded with the permanent seed mixture and mulched as <br />explained below. <br />Material from the coverfill stockpile, and the topsoil stockpile will be utilized for <br />reclamation. Approximately 46.0 acres of the gob pile, and 2.3 acres of the coverfill pile <br />will need to be vegetated. See Appendix C— Reclamation Estimate. <br />Of the 72,600 cubic yards originally inventoried as available to salvage the Operator was <br />only able to salvage approximately 42,400 cubic yards. As discussed in Section 2.05.3(5) <br />the amount of topsoil that is estimated for salvage can be less than the amount of topsoil <br />actually salvaged. The Operator believes the reason for this difference is as follows: <br />1. Rocky soil material made topsoil salvage very difficult. <br />2. The steep terrain made topsoil salvage very difficult. <br />3. The soil survey assumed a constant topsoil salvage depth over the entire gob pile <br />area. The topsoil depth varies, from a few inches to over a foot. <br />The Operator believes they salvaged all topsoil that was available for salvage. <br />Page 2.05-66 acknowledges a 6" replacement depth of topsoil on the gob piles is marginal, <br />however, nutrients or other soil amendment will be applied to redistributed topsoil if necessary <br />to support plant nutrient requirements. Further, testing was done on the coverfill material <br />placed on bench #1 of gob pile #2. Results from that testing indicate that the growth media <br />was comparable in terms of suitability to the topsoil originally projected to exist in the gob <br />pile #2/4 area. Please see results of coverfill testing located in Volume III, Exhibit 7. <br />Therefore, the Operator believes the proposed replacement depth proposed is in compliance <br />with Rules 4.06.4(2)(a) and (b) and that vegetation establishment will be adequate, and <br />consistent with the post mining land use of rangeland/wildlife habitat. <br />The areas disturbed by the each phase of construction, including the topsoil stockpile, <br />coverfill stockpile, road fill, berms, pond slopes and diversion ditches that are not <br />riprapped, will be promptly seeded with the stabilization seed mix. The components of <br />the stabilization seed mix are listed in Volume I, Section 2.05.4.(2)(e). A berm will be <br />constructed around the topsoil stockpile to contain any topsoil that may erode prior to <br />TR -98 -16- 04/15 <br />