Laserfiche WebLink
When removed by dozers, the topsoil is pushed into piles and loaded into haulage trucks for <br />transport to stockpiles or regraded spoils. [n addition to haulage to remote stockpiles, topsoil <br />windrows may be lefr in place a[ the edge or perimeters of disturbance areas. Dozers or <br />scrapers are used to redistribute topsoil. Topsoil stockpiles will be strategically located in <br />stable areas to avoid both wind and water erosion, disturbance, unnecessary compaction, and <br />contamination. In addition, topsoil stockpiles will be appropriately marked with conspicuous <br />signs made of durable material. When stockpiles are no longer active, they will be graded <br />with a dozer. To further prevent erosion, seeding of stockpiles will be accomplished <br />according to procedures described in Section 2.05.4. <br />Topsoil removal schedules and stockpile locations are delineated on the Topsoil Handling <br />Map, (Map 28). The amounts of topsoil to be removed and replaced are found in Table 1, <br />Topsoil Schedule for Mining Area, and Table 2, Topsoil Removal Plan. Topsoil will be <br />removed from an area primarily during the summer and fall months to allow for one years <br />mining advance. A buffer zone, with topsoil removed, will be left between the undisturbed <br />area and the crest of the pit. <br />Following topsoil removal, the next step is drill bench preparation and the drilling and <br />blasting of the overburden material. Colowyo maintains and operates several rotary drills for <br />penetrating the overburden and interburden material. Dozers are used to construct a drill <br />bench, a level area for the drill to work on. The overburden drill then drills a pattern of holes <br />to either a predetermined sub-grade depth or to the top of the coal seam. The spacing of the <br />holes will be dependent upon the overburden thickness, but usually will be in the range of 25 <br />• feet by 25 feet. Holes will be loaded with either ANFO or a waterproof explosive, if the hole <br />is wet, to a typical powder factor of between 0.5 and 1.2 pounds per bank cubic yard. The <br />hole wilt then be stemmed with drill cuttings and blasted in accordance with detailed <br />descriptions given in Section 2.05.3 under the heading of Overburden. <br /> <br />2.05-3 Revision Date: 7/2/02 <br />Revision No.: IvTR-57 <br />