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projection of areas graded are based upon certain basic considerations. First, • <br />approximately two spoil rows are normally graded simultaneously once [he pit <br />configurations become regular [o achieve the desired postmining land configuration and To <br />effectively maintain topographic continuity between grading sequences. The number of <br />spoils associated with irregular box cuts, certain inside or outside curves, short pits, <br />facility areas, and haulage ramps may exceed four spoil rows to facilitate grading. <br />Second, the time when grading of specific spoils can begin is based upon excavation cycle <br />times and pit configuration. Rough bac kfilling and grading will be kept within four spoil <br />ridges, except as discussed above. Cycle times ere dependent upon factors such as pit <br />configurations, excavator performance, and customer demand. Third, once grading begins, <br />the number of acres graded annually in a given pit is approximately equal to the number of <br />acres disturbed annually. In certain circumstances, this generalization may not apply <br />because of spoil material needed to achieve the designed postmining landform. For <br />example, the backfilling end grading of box pit spoil, final hi9hwalls, and deep ramps <br />typically require the movement of large volumes of spoil for great distances and requires <br />up to two years after coal removal for final grading. Also, certain box cut spoil areas <br />(uh ere box cut material is spoiled on recoverable coal) will be temporarily upgradeable <br />until the recoverable coal is stripped (see Exhibit 19-1). All of the acres graded in a • <br />given year are projected to be topsoiled and seeded as soon as possible based on the <br />reclamation timetable, and viii represent reclaimed acres in Table 19-1. <br />As tan be seen from Table 19-7, the maximum annual disturbance is estimated to be 406,5 <br />acres in 7997. The most significant disturbance is advance topsoil removal which must be <br />Completed by November 1 of each year in order to allow the overburden removal operation to <br />continue during the winter and wet spring months. The efficient removal of topsoil at <br />Seneca 11-4 is considered to be virtually impossible during the six-month period from <br />November 1 to May 1 of any given year. Consequently, at the end of any given year, <br />approximately one-third of the coal acreage [o be mined during the next year will have <br />been disturbed by topsoil removal activities. The total annual disturbed acreage figures <br />in the table include the coal areas mined and the advance topsoil removed areas, as cell <br />as the other disturbances including spoil areas, existing and proposed haul roads, power <br />lines, storage yards, and facilities. In order to avoid the confusion created by too many <br />overlapping yearly lines, only the graded areas far each year are shown on the Reclamation <br />Schedule, Exhibit 19-1. The facilities including utility lines, haul roads, drainage and <br />• <br />Sa Revised 04/24/91 <br />