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When possible, topsoil is live hauled to active reclamation areas. However, this is not <br /> always possible and some topsoil will be stockpiled. Stockpiled topsoil will be protected <br /> from wind and water erosion by roughening and ditching around the pile, establishing an <br /> annual cover crop, or establishing a perennial grass cover, depending on the length of time a <br /> stockpile will be in place. <br /> Mining at New Horizon Mine 2 will follow the pattern shown in Map 2.05.3-1 of the permit <br /> application. No overburden removal or coal mining will take place at the New Horizon <br /> Mine 1 area; however, reclamation will continue to be carried out at New Horizon 1. <br /> Mining activities began in early 1993. Excavation is performed by dozers, trucks and <br /> shovel. Some excavation may be carried out by scrapers and dozers. The anticipated mining <br /> schedule for each area where mining will occur is graphically shown on Map 2.05.3-1. <br /> Overburden is removed by a shovel and trucks and/or scrapers after an area has been drilled <br /> and shot. <br /> The primary coal scam to be recovered is the Lower Dakota.seam; however, the Upper <br /> Dakota seam will be recovered if it is thick enough and of sufficient quality. Maximum <br /> overburden depth will approach 90 feet. Excavations will develop pits having a generally <br /> north-south orientation which progress westward. <br /> Mining began along the eastem subcrop of the New Horizon Mine 2 area and uses a panel <br /> mining method to develop the pits (see Map 2.05.3-1). The panels will vary in length and <br /> width according to conditions, but will average approximately 500 feet long and 120 feet <br /> wide. Mining will generally progress east to west with the long axis of the pits generally <br /> north to south. The overburden is excavated using dozers and a shovel and trucks and then <br /> placed or pushed into an adjacent or nearby mined-out pit panels, with the exception of the <br /> initial cut, which was placed adjacent to the pit onto land designated as a temporary <br /> overburden stockpile (see Map 2.05.3-1). <br /> During overburden removal operations, some selective handling of material will be <br /> performed based on chemical and physical core data contained in Section 2.04.6, Geology <br /> Description, and discussions presented in Section 2.05.4(2)(d), Topsoil (Redistribution) of the <br /> permit application. <br /> Following recovery of the lower Dakota coal seam, the pit will be backfrlled to approximate <br /> original contour. Overburden testing will be done to ensure that acid or toxic forming <br /> overburden is not placed within four feet of the surface and areas retreated as necessary. <br /> Topsoil will then be replaced in approximate thicknesses of 1.0 feet on dryland pastures and <br /> 1.5 feet on irrigated pastures, dependent upon the actual amount of topsoil recovered. The <br /> areas will then be seeded and irrigated for pasture establishment. <br /> OVerations on Prime Farmland <br /> Operations on the prime farmlands identified in the southeast portion of the New Horizon <br /> Mine 2 permit area will be substantially the same as on other areas except for soil handling <br /> procedures. Soil on prime farmland has been removed in a two-lift operation. <br /> 11 <br /> it <br />