PERMFILE67549

• Permit No: C1981022A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/4/2002
• Section_Exhibit Name: EXHIBIT 2.05-E6 REVEGETATION PLAN
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

1.0 INTRODUCTION
This revegetation plan is designed to restore the physical landscape disturbances associated with the
development and operation of the Somerset Mme, which has been reclaimed, and the Sanborn Creek
Mine. The mine operations began in 1902 and continued until 1985. In 1991, new owners opened
the Sanborn Creek Mine was opened and OMI, az the present operator, is proceeding with
development of the Elk CreekZvlirte.
Approximately 72 acres of disturbance (historic figure for Somerset and Sanborn Creek Mine -See
Table 2.05-T1 for current disturbance acreages) are associated with the surface plant facilities, mine
portals, power line roads, and other minor disturbances. These disturbances, which occur on both
private and federal land, will continue for the life of the mine. The disturbance affects two major
vegetation types, Mountain Shmbland and Juniper Woodland. Topsoil was not salvaged during the
early construction activities at the mine. Therefore, revegetation will be initiated on surface produced
by regrading ertisting surface materials. Furthermore, it has been assumed that the old shale materials
of the refuse piles will be weatlteted to a consistency similaz to the other materials to be revegetated at
the Soterset and Sanborn Creek Mutes bythe time of revegetation occurrence in the future.
Analytical results from seventeen surface soil collettions in disturbed and undisturbed areas provide
an indication of the suitability of surface materials as a medium for plant growth. These data, as
analyzed by Ford Chemical Laboratories on August 8, 1980 indicated that there are no problems with
salts. Conductivity and sodium adsorption ration (SAR) values are all below the conservative limits of
4000 umhos/cm and 6, respectively (see WRDC 1981).
The data on heavy metals are total values derived from acid extraction and that cannot be compared
to most standards for reclamation suitability (see Shafer 1979, WDEQ 1981). If samples for
undisturbed areas are compared with those from duturbed locations, it rs apparent that total heavy
metal levek are comparable throughout for boron, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, memrry,
molybdenum, nickel, and selenium Again however, note chat the data examined were acid extrattable
totak and not plant-available levels. Data for heavy metak are not in a form to evaluate the hazard
for plant growth. However, total heavy metals in disturbed materials and undisturbed soils are not
significantly different.
In the case of soil texnrre the 17 samples had a reported texture of either "sandy loam" or "cla}~'.
However, this classification was produced without a particle size analysis. The occurrence of
numerous samples in two diverse textural classification and the absence of intemnediate textural
ranges suggest an imprecise determination. Therefore, the soil textural data may not represent
sufficiently precise determination to merit serious evaluation as to their suitability for reclamation.
During 1986, soil sample sites for the lower Elk Creek facilities were sampled. These resulu indicated
the soil on the nosh storage yard u acceptable for revegetation. Other areas of the lower Ells Creek
yard require six inches of suitable root zone material
In 1987, soil test pits were dug on the west bench, central yard and east bench areas. The results are
tabulated in Table 1. These test pits confirm the need for 6 inches of topsoil for the central yard area
and east bench. The west bench area appears to have sufficient subsoil for revegetatioa. The coal
material layer is generallyless than 6 inches thick Tltis gob material will either be scarified and mixed
with underlying material prior to topsoil placement or scraped up by mobile equipment for use az fill
material.
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PR04 H 1 Revised May 2001