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Exhibit 1 <br />channery loam portion. of this complex are described in the previous section. The rock <br />outcrop portion of this complex is found outside the surface mine site. <br />Penrose-Rock outcrop complex, 25-65% slopes, has been assigned to land capability <br />class VIIs. A description of this capability class is included in the previous section. <br />SOIL ANALYSIS <br />During the 1999 soils study of the surface mine -area, a sample was collected from the <br />topsoil and subsoil from the surface to a depth of 46 inches. The sample pit was <br />excavated within an area of Manvel silt loam and located within the proposed surface <br />mine area. The physical and chemical characteristics of this sample are presented in the <br />laboratory report included in Appendix B. The physical characteristics reported appear <br />consistent with observations of two soil pits excavated during the May 2001 field visit <br />and the description of the Manvel silt loam from the county soil survey. Following are <br />comparisons of the laboratory results with the Wyoming DEQ suitability guidelines foi <br />topsoil (or topsoil substitutes). <br />The pH result (7.44) was well within the suitable range of 5.5-8.5. Electrical conductivity <br />was 2.31 mmhos/cm and is well below the upper suitability limit of 8 mmhos/cm. The <br />saturation percent of 47.2 is within the suitable range of 25 to 80 percent. The texture was <br />determined to be clay loam and is considered suitable. Boron concentration was 0.81 <br />ppm, well below the upper suitability limit of 5.0 ppm. The sodium absorption ratio <br />(SAR) was 0.6, much below the upper suitability limit of 10. The selenium concentration <br />was 0.12 ppm. This result was slightly above the upper limit of suitability (0.1 ppm) and <br />was within the low end of the marginal range. <br />The remaining suitability criterion, coarse fragments as a percentage of total sample <br />volume, was not measured. A visual examination was made of soil profiles in pits <br />excavated during the May 2001 site visit and profile photographs taken for the 1998 <br />study. Based on these observations, it appears that the percentage of coarse ftagments <br />from the surface to an average depth of 30 inches is well below the upper limit of 25 <br />percent coarse fragments for a soil to be considered "suitable." Below a depth of 30 <br />inches, the soil appeazs to have greater than 25 percent coarse fragments, making it <br />marginal or unsuitable for use as topsoil. <br />Based on soil survey mapping and the 1998 and 2001 field examinations, it appears that <br />at least 24 inches of suitable soils from the surface to a depth of 24 inches are available <br />for use as growth medium during reclamation. Outside the areas mapped as Manvel silt <br />loam, soil material appears to be less suitable. However, because more than 75 percent of <br />the site is covered by Manvel silt loam, an average of at least 18 inches of suitable growth <br />medium should be available for spreading over the disturbed area during reclamation. <br /> <br />AppExhibitsA-T-APP(1180)RevB/]aauary 17, 2002 - I-3 <br />