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following sections describe the specific proposed reclamation practices to be used to return <br />exploration disturbance to a stable condition and productive use. <br />Drillhole or Well Pluggine - Sealine and Abandonment All drillholes will be plugged, sealed, and <br />abandoned unless they aze converted for long-term use as a monitoring well. Deeper drillholes will <br />be plugged with a minimum of 6 cubic yards (about 750 feet) of cement slurry -this is the off-road <br />transport capacity of a cement truck. Shallower drillholes will be plugged with between 3 and 5 <br />cubic yards of cement slurry (as appropriate). The cement slurry will be tremied into the drillhole <br />from the bottom of the hole, up through the target units. This will effectively plug and seal all coal <br />beds and potential goundwater aquifers to prevent vertical groundwater migration and cross- <br />contamination of aquifers. <br />Any remaining open drillhole interval will be filled with other suitable plugging material (plug gel or <br />vendor-specific grout compounds) and/or drill cuttings to within 5 feet of the ground surface and the <br />drillhole will be sealed with a surface plug consisting of at least 5 feet of cement. Information on <br />potential plugging materials, that aze generally superior to conventional cement grout, is provided in <br />Appendix E. Surface casing will be cut-off at or below Bade. Reclaimed drillhole locations will be <br />marked with either a steel fence post or a metal survey cap at or below ground level (used where <br />agricultural cropping occurs). All drillhole locations will be accurately surveyed, and distinctly <br />numbered, allowing for future identification. Abandonment reports will be prepazed and filed, as <br />required by applicable regulations. When no longer needed, monitoring wells will be plugged, <br />sealed, and abandoned in essentially the same manner, with the stipulation that cement slurry will be <br />used for plugging the well. <br />Exploration Site Reclamation: Following completion of exploration activities (drilling, sampling, <br />and geophysical logging) for each exploration site, any drillholes not converted to monitoring wells <br />will be plugged, sealed and abandoned, as previously described, and exploration disturbance will be <br />reclaimed. Site reclamation will follow completion of exploration activities for each site as soon as <br />reasonably practical, recognizing however, that certain reclamation activities may be coordinated to <br />take advantage of equipment and personnel availability. Seeding of reclaimed exploration sites will <br />occur during the first favorable seeding period (typically late fall [preferred], or early spring) <br />following completion of site reclamation. The following summarizes the steps and general sequence <br />for reclamation of exploration disturbance azeas: <br />1) On completion of exploration activities at a given site, all trash, debris, and exploration <br />equipment and supplies will be removed from the site. <br />2) For drill-sites, excess drilling fluids may be pumped from mud pits for off-site disposal, and <br />the mud pits allowed to dry-out. Mud pits or excavated trenches will be backfilled with the <br />excavated material and compacted to minimize any settling. Any excess drill cuttings will be <br />spread over the drill-pad, and drill-pads, trenched azeas, and any new access road segments <br />graded to approximate their original configuration and blend with the adjacent terrain. <br />3) Stockpiled or windrowed topsoil will be redistributed at a uniform thickness over disturbed <br />areas. <br />4) All excavations, artificial flat areas, and embanlanents created during exploration will be <br />returned to the approximate original contour promptly after such features aze no longer <br />needed for coal exploration. <br />5) Disturbed areas will be reseeded to stabilize the surface and control erosion using the <br />following seed mix, or a mixture developed in consultation with the appropriate landowner or <br />as specified by the CDOW (for azeas with state surface ownership). Replaced topsoil will be <br />scarified prior to seeding, and areas will be drill or broadcast seeded at the prescribed rates. <br />A harrow or similar implement will be used to drag the surface and cover the seed following <br />seeding. <br />Wo((GeekProJect NOl <br />obiosaooz 6 <br />