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-2- <br />n <br />u <br />The initial box cut will be across a valley which trends north from the pit <br />(Fig. I, Sheet I). Colowyo .plans to place 16.5 million cubic yards of excess <br />overburden from Phis cut into the West Pit Disposal Site north of the pit, within <br />The valley. Precipitation runoff in the valley currently flows north and turns <br />northwest just before the valley converges with Taylor Creel. The northern limit <br />of the spoil will be at the turn in the valley; existing slopes north of this turn will <br />serve as a natural buttress for most of the spoil. The "toe" of the fill will slope <br />northwest, toward Taylor Creek. The east side of the spoil will terminate on o <br />west-facing slope and the west edge of the spoil will toe into an east-facing slope <br />near a ridge line. The initial box cut will extend west of The spoil site down <br />toward a second tributary valley to Taylor Creek. To enhance stability, an <br />additional small excess spoil area may be created in order to tie the spoil info the <br />east-facing side of the existing valley and grade the surface of the fill for <br />drainage. <br />GEOLOGIC CONDITIONS <br />Geologic conditions at the site have been described and mapped in detail by <br />Colowyo Coal Company geologic staff. `Ne understand the entire area is underlain <br />at relative shallow depths by the Williams Fork Formation which is part of the <br />Upper Cretaceous ,Mesa Verde Group. lNithin the area of the proposed mining and <br />spoil disposal, the Williams Fork Formation includes sandstone which is fine to <br />very fine grained and interbedded with thin layers of siltstone and shale. '.Ve have <br />termed this sandstone a varved material. The sandstone is light gray in color with <br />dark gray bands. There are massive marine shale members within the formation. <br />The shale series predominately consist of claystone evith some siltstone. <br />