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<br />Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance July 2018 <br />Permit Renewal No. 7 P a g e | 40 <br />IV. Topsoil - Rules 2.04.9, 2.05.3(s), 2.05.4(2)(d) and 4.06 <br /> <br />The Permit has been found to be in compliance with Rules 2.04.9, 2.05.3(s), 2.05.4(2)(d) and 4.06 <br />with regard to the protection of topsoil resources. The Division has approved alternative <br />procedures for topsoil protection following removal based on a demonstration that such alternative <br />procedures will provide more protection for the topsoil (Rule 4.06.1(2)). <br />A. The Soil Resource <br /> <br />A summary of the soil resource is found in the Description of the Environment section of this <br />document. Detailed information is presented in Section 2.04.9 and Exhibit 9 of the original PAP <br />volumes for the original permit area, while a detailed soil description information for the South <br />Taylor and Lower Wilson expansion areas is contained in Section 2.04.9 of Volume 12 and Exhibit <br />9 of Volume 13 of the PAP. Order III (generalized) soil mapping for the permit area is presented <br />in map 5A of Volume 14 of the PAP; more detailed Order II soil mapping for the South Taylor <br />and Lower Wilson areas is presented on Maps 5B and 5C of the PAP, respectively. Baseline <br />information presented in the application for the South Taylor expansion area is drawn largely from <br />a 1984 report titled “Soil Inventory-Danforth Hills Project, Rio Blanco and Moffat Counties ,” <br />prepared for Consolidation Coal Company by certified professional soil scientist James P. Walsh. <br />The Walsh report is included as Exhibit 9, Item 7, of Volume 13 of the PAP. <br /> <br />The three major soil types at the Mine’s East Pit and West Pit areas are the Work Loam, the <br />Burnette Loam and the Campspass Fine Sandy Loam. The Work and Burnette units are generally <br />deep, loamy textured soils with moderate permeability and high available water capacity. The <br />physical and chemical properties of these two soils are well suited for reclamation use. The <br />Campspass soil, however, is characterized by a shallow sandy loam A horizon less than six inches <br />in depth. The B horizon is a heavy clay loam with hard columnar structure, which Colowyo does <br />not propose to salvage due to the sticky, plastic properties which make it less desirable for <br />reclamation. If spread directly on regraded spoils, the clayey soil could hamper vegetation <br />establishment due to the slow permeability and resultant droughtiness. In addition, surface runoff <br />from such soils would be rapid and erosion hazard would be high from both wind and water. <br /> <br />The most prevalent soils in the South Taylor area include Burnette, Work, Lamphier, Rhone, and <br />Northwater Loams. These are borolls, which developed from residuum or colluvium on gently <br />sloping to rolling ridgetops, moderately steep sideslopes, and in gently sloping, concave narrow <br />stream valleys. Shallow, rocky soils of the order entisol occur to a limited extent within the area <br />to be disturbed on steep, south-facing slopes. The very thick Silas loam soil developed from <br />alluvium within narrow bands along the larger ephemeral drainages. <br /> <br />The predominant hill-slope soils have relatively thick, loamy textured mollic epipedons, well <br />suited for reclamation use. Salvageable thickness of these soils averages from 12 inches to 30 <br />inches. Subsoils in these units are somewhat marginal, due to heavier texture or excessive cobbles. <br />The Silas loam soil along the drainage valley bottoms is generally suitable for salvage to depths <br />of five feet or more.