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TAB 21 <br />MINESOIL RECONSTRUCTION <br />Introduction <br />This chapter outlines SCC's plan for reconstructing mined-land soils and spoil at the Seneca II-W Mine. <br />The plan addresses those reclamation activities that are conducted during and immediately after <br />backfilling and grading (Tab 20), but prior to revegetation (Tab 221. The objectives of the plan are to <br />reconstruct plant growth and aquifer mediums that are capable of supporting the postmining land uses. <br />The plan objectives are achieved by insuring that a sufficient thickness of suitable spoil is replaced in <br />the pit bottom and a minimum of tour feet of suitable plant growth material, including topsoil, exists on <br />the surface of graded lands prior to the commencement of revegetation activities. The plan presents an <br />account of the plant growth material and aquifer medium requirements based upon current and <br />projected disturbance areas and plant growth material and aquifer medium availability based on topsoil <br />depth mapping and overburden assessments. The plan also describes the procedural aspects of <br />removal, storage, redistribution, and testing of topsoil materials. <br />Overburden/Spoil Handling Plan <br />The following overburden/spoil handling plan was developed to ensure that a minimum of three feet of <br />suitable plant growth material exists on graded lands prior to the commencement of topsoiling <br />activities. The plan is based upon the overburden assessment information previously discussed in Tab <br />6. <br />Overburden and Underburden Characteristics. Overburden and underburden characteristics are <br />presented in Tab 6, Geology and Overburden Assessment. Overburden suitability is very similar to the <br />Wadge mining area for the Seneca II Mine. The only significant difference between mine areas is more <br />shaley Lennox overburden exists within the disturbance area at Seneca II-W. Approximately 78 percent <br />of the overburden material is classified as suitable for root growth antl aquifer medium material ITab 6, <br />Appendix 6-5 and Table 6-31. All overburden and underburden strata had suitable values for salinity, <br />sodium adsorption ratio, molybdenum, selenium, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead. <br />Unsuitable material was identified in the overburden at 9 of the 15 sample locations within the <br />proposed disturbance area. The unsuitable parameters, pH, saturation percentage, panicle size, boron, <br />1 <br />