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<br />Excess Spoil and ILukf i ilia;: :,nd ~:r,~dint•, <br />Energy Fuels will stockpile overhurden material not needed for resto:ino the <br />land to appro+:i mate original contour in two e::cess spoils pales. These spoils <br />piles will he located adjacent to the principal -ir.ino locations is ~ci'.man <br />Park and will 'oe vegetated to support grazing. r~ special handling of the <br />spoil is required because no acid- or to:•tic-.`or-.i~±; materials arc presea:. <br />Sough backfil'_ing and gradinp, w•i11 begin 1S0 da•:s :'ter coal recover':. <br />After coal is recovered from the pit floor, overburden stripping wi 11 resume <br />and this spoils material will be cast into t'.~e cut (bnchfilled) •.:hure r.•al and <br />overburden have already been removed. The comoanv will back`ill and S:ade <br />this material with losers and scrapers [o the aap:u::imate original contour. <br />(Postmining topography will e>:ceed origin :l elevations slightly.) Following <br />[his, the comoana will replace topsoil and re vegetate. <br />Energy Fuels has requested OS!•, approval for three exceo[ions to normal <br />backfilling and grading operztions. The firs[ er.ception :could inc:ease coal <br />recovery a[ the northeastern end of the 8050 pit by enabling the operation to <br />move closer [o a minor drainage channel, but it would place [he open bcx cu[ <br />at the northwestern end out of reach for backfill_ng until 19S'_ or 1953 (not <br />considered a significant problem). The second e;cep[ion would allow Energy <br />Fuels to leave a portion of the 7400 pit open for a_pprozimately 1 year, until <br />mining resumes in that area in Goober 19SU. Tl:is would prevent additional <br />environmental damage caused by backfilline the 7:~~'i pi; and `,hen openinh <br />another box cu[ in 6 months. The third excention would allow Energy Fuels to <br />leave a portion of the hichwall open to permit underground mining a[ some <br />later date [o maximize recovery of Cite coal re<nurCes. OS'9 is reauirinb <br />Energy Fuels to submit a plan to meet [he renuircmints of 30 CFF 755.15 for <br />joint surface and underground mining b}' Uccumher 31, 196i~, or the compa r.y must <br />back`ill and grade the hi r,h•»all area by January' ;1, !9~1, [n meet the <br />requirements of 30 CF1; S16.1u0 for contemporanc~nis reclama;ion. <br />Energy Fuels' plan for constructing two excess spoil piles is an ar.ceptnble <br />alternative to redistributing this material hc•causc•, ii it were redistributed, <br />the appro::ii,a[e orieinal contours of stream cha::oels world he exceeded, and <br />oversteepening and su'osequen; erosion and sedimentation would result. Stosr. o; <br />the cneironmental impr~c[s or the two er.cess spy.; is piles will he short _c:~n <br />and of a minor nature tier rnil•h 1952. A[ this tin:, coast niction of thc• ni lE•s <br />will be completed ,inJ reergetation will hct,i.n. ".ecause permanent dieersiuns <br />will be construe[ed to divert existing stream ch::mcls around thc• exr~ss <br />spoils piles, there will be n minor loaf:-[rem imanc; resulting from <br />lengthening thc• channels aad decreasing the grn,ii~:n~. This xuuld result i~. <br />some siltation of the di vers~: ons. The impacts .-i.-• bat%:fi iliac and p.radi n:•, <br />should also he short term In the interin, the principal impact will he <br />exposure to erosional Forces that should he controlled be drainage structures <br />and a sedimentation pond. <br /> <br />_ 13 _ <br />