Laserfiche WebLink
• REFUSE CHARACTERIZATION <br />In order to characterize the coal refuse materials from the Southfield Mine <br />refuse pile all of the previously collected permit data on soils, overburden and <br />refuse were examined. These data revealed that several detailed site specific <br />soils characterization efforts were conducted on various sites in 1979 and <br />1980 by the Soil Conservation Service and consultants hired by Dorchester <br />Coal Company, the previous owner of the mine. This evaluation revealed that <br />a total of 42 soils samples were analyzed for various parameters deemed to <br />be of importance to the Division at the time the mine was originally permitted. <br />These samples were collected from various undisturbed areas, previously <br />mined areas, topsoil stockpiles that were stripped according to Division <br />regulations and coal spoil or refuse piles reported to have been created 30 <br />years prior to sampling. A total of 10 coal, roof and floor samples were <br />analyzed at the time of the original permit submittal and are available to <br />characterize the materials that uftimatey end up in the refuse pile. The permit <br />document also contains analyses of two refuse samples taken to characterize <br />the refuse material. <br />The existing permit inbrmation was supplemented by additional refuse <br />characterization data that were collected by IME of Yampa, Colorado on July <br />22, 1988 and analyzed by ACZ Inc. -Laboratory Division of Steamboat <br />Springs for the parameters of concern relative to the reclamation suitability of <br />• topsoil substitutes and overburden materials. The interpretation and <br />evaluation of these data were performed by IME. The newly collected <br />samples were collected from fresh refuse, refuse three, five and seven years <br />old and from three old refuse piles ranging between 24 and 52 years in age. <br />Three soil pits were dug in reclaimed areas to examine the properties of the <br />respread topsoil over the refuse and root distribution patterns. In all <br />instances, these samples were collected from sites that represented the worst <br />conditions available. Although most of the areas associated with the very old <br />refuse piles were very well vegetated through the processes of natural plant <br />succession, the present samples were collected from areas that were barren <br />of vegetation and contained the highest amounts of waste coal present on <br />these sites. The samples collected from the respread topsoil were also <br />deliberately biased in that soil pits were placed in atypical areas where there <br />were thin layers of replaced topsoil, to determine whether or not evidence of <br />upward migration of sodium or other contaminants could be documented. <br />The results of the 1988 sampling are presented in Exhibit 1, Results of <br />Laboratory Analyses. In the following evaluation each parameter will be <br />examined relative to its potential suitability as a reclamation medium. Detailed <br />information regarding the characterization of the Southfield Mine refuse, soil <br />and other materials is presented later in this report, following detailed <br />literature review pertinent to this subject. <br />r1 <br />LJ <br />2 <br />