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• Mining was begun along the eastern subcrop of the New Horizon 2 area and a panel mining <br />method was used to develop the pits (see Map 2.05.2-1 ). The panels (cuts) will vary in length and <br />width according to conditions. Panel lengths will approach 3500 feet long and panel width will vary <br />from 100 to 120 feet. A bottom pit width of 120 feet is the maximum that will be employed. The <br />exposed coal portion of the bottom of the pit is generally 120 feet wide.. Map 2.05.3-1 shows that <br />there will be no spoil piles that are left ungraded behind the pit. Since this operation uses the <br />graded spoil as a base for the overburden truck traffic, there cannotbe ungraded spoils behind the <br />pit or the trucks could not reach the edge of the pit. The overburden spoil is placed at angle of <br />repose in the backfill, which is an approximate angle of 35.2 degrees. The cut slopes for the <br />overburden removal range from 0.3H1 V in the upper portion to near vertical in the competent lower <br />portions. <br />• ' <br />• <br />Mining will generally progress east to west with the long axis of the pits generally north to south. <br />The overburden will be placed or pushed into an adjacent or nearby mined out pit panel except the <br />initial cut which will be placed adjacent to the pit onto land designated as a temporary overburden <br />stockpile. This stockpile (also known as the borrow area) is shown in the southeast portion of the <br />permit area. This overburden will be used to reclaim the last cut but would also be used to reclaim <br />any cut if the mine were to cease operation before the last cut is reached. See Map 2.05.3(3)-1. <br />Topsoil stockpiles and volumes are also shown on this map. All topsoil piles will be used for final <br />reclamation of the last cut and would also be used if the mine were to cease operation before the <br />last cut is reached. <br />During overburden removal operations, some selective handling of material will be performed <br />based on chemical and physical core data contained in Section 2.04.6, Geology Description, and <br />discussions presented in Section 2.05.4(2)(d), Topsoil (Redistribution). <br />After the upper coal seam is removed the parting material, composed of alternating layers of <br />sandstone, shale or clay, sometimes alternating, will be removed. Partings and interburden <br />material may range in thickness from a few tenths of a foot to over 20 feet. The thinner partings <br />will be removed by loader or dozer and hauled or pushed into an adjacent mined out pit. The <br />thicker partings and interburden will be dozed into a mined out pit or excavated by the shovel and <br />trucks and hauled to a mined out pit. <br />After the overburden or parting has been removed above each individual coal seam, a dozer, <br />loader or motor grader will clean off any overburden or parting material remaining on top of the <br />coal. In order to facilitate handling of the coal, a dozer will rip or break up the coal. Contracted <br />haulage trucks of approximately 25 ton capacity will be loaded by a wheel loader. Once a truck is <br />(REVISED MARCH 2006) 2.05.3-4 <br />