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excavation advances away from the box cut area. Surface mining with a dragline progresses in a logical <br />repetitious sequence: the dragline opens a pit (uncovers/exposes coal), the overburden is placed in the <br />previous mined pit, the coal is removed, the current highwall is drilled and blasted, the dragline begins again <br />and uncovers another pit width of coal. This process is repeated until all the coal has been recovered. This <br />mining process/sequence does not allow more than one pit-width to be open at a time. There may be single <br />pits open in more then one mining area, but physically there can't be more than one pit width open in a single <br />mining area. However multiple spoil ridges may be present in each mining area depending on the <br />reclamation (rough grading) sequence. Further discussion of this situation is presented in Tab 12 and 20. In <br />order to achieve the tlesigned postmining landform, the necessary backfill material must be available to <br />perform area grading on internal spoil. Generally, adequate material will not be available until mining has <br />resulted in development of at least two spoil ridges behind the advancing pit. Tab 20 discusses the area <br />grading concept. When the pit configuration is regular (e.g., typically, interior spoil), and where sufficient area <br />is available to perform "area grading", SCC will conduct backfilling and grading activities on areas beyond <br />two spoil rows from the active pit. Typically, it will take approximately 90 to 120 days to cycle the dragline <br />from one end of the coal field and back during the permit term; however, due to coal market and operation <br />considerations, it is periodically required to also cycle the dragline from the south to the north and back, This <br />could add 60 to 90 days to the dragline cycle before a single spoil row is created. Therefore, due to the <br />depth of overburden, and configuration and length of the pit, it could take over one year to generate four spoil <br />rows. This typical cycle has been drastically reduced in the later years of mining due to the limited <br />areas and required pif orientations due to steep grades. <br />SCC proposes to utilize the general backfilling and final grading sequence illustrated by Exhibit 19-1 and the <br />reclamation schedule shown on Table 19-1 to achieve the proposed postmining topography shown on Exhibit <br />20-2, Postmining Topography and Drainages. In summary, the annual projection of areas graded are <br />based upon certain considerations. First, approximately two spoil rows are normally graded simultaneously, <br />once pit development establishes asteady-state confguration, to achieve the desired postmining land <br />configuration and to effectively maintain topographic continuity between grading sequences. The number of <br />spoil ridges associated with irregular box cuts, certain inside or outside curves, short pits, facility areas, and <br />haulage ramps will not exceed four spoil rows. Second, timing of grading for specific spoil areas is based <br />upon excavation cycle times and pit configuration. Rough backfilling and grading will be kept within four spoil <br />ridges and within 180 days, except as discussed invariance areas requested. Cycle times are dependent <br />upon factors such as pit configurations, excavator performance, and customer demand. Third, once grading <br />begins, the number of acres graded annually in a given pit is approximately equal to the number of acres <br />disturbed annually. In certain circumstances, this generalization may not apply because of spoil material <br />needed to achieve the designed postmining landform. For example, the backfilling and grading of box pit <br />spoil, final highwalls, and deep ramps typically require the movement of large volumes of spoil for great <br />distances and requires up to two years after coal removal for final grading. Also, grading of certain box cut <br />spoil areas (where box cut material is spoiled on recoverable coal) will be temporarily delayed until the <br />recoverable coal is stripped (see Exhibit 19-1). All of the acres graded in a given year are projected to be <br />topsoiled and seeded as soon as operationally feasible based on the reclamation timetable and site <br /> <br />PR-05 5 Revised 01/06 <br />