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Technical Revision No. 79 -PAR Responses <br />April l8, 1997 <br />Page 9 <br />Division. Therefore, MCC will commit to reclaiming the haul road and stream crossing <br />proposed in this application. <br />38. MCC has calculated that approximately 7,820 cubic yards of soil (includes topsoil and <br />subsoil) will be needed to reclaim the outslopes of the Lower Refuse Pile as the benches aze <br />brought up to the elevation of the top of the refuse pile. Table 36 shows that there are <br />19,400 cubic yards of topsoil stockpile on top of the pile. Approximately 11,580 cubic <br />yards of topsoil would need to be relocated off the top of the Lower Refuse Pile to the <br />North Soil Storage Area. <br />39. The haul road will be surfaced with road base and the expanded mine entrance will be <br />surfaced with asphalt as is the existing mine entrance and access road. Asphalt would be <br />removed and backfilled into sediment ponds. The road base material would remain in place <br />and be scarified prior to placing topsoil. <br />40. Monitoring of the Lower Refuse Pile vegetation was conducted in 1993 and 1995. During <br />the course of vegetation monitoring, neither consultant observed any indications of salt <br />migration of the Lower Refuse Pile. Indications of salt migration would include physical <br />manifestations such as a salt crust on the surface, or induect effects such as chlorosis and <br />wilting of plants. No plant species which are specifically adapted to hypersaline conditions <br />(such as inland saltgrass, Distichlis spicata) were found in any location of the Lower Refuse <br />Pile. On April 7, 1997, Michael Savage, of Savage and Savage examined the area of the <br />Lower Refuse Pile reclaimed in 1995 and 1996 and found no evidence of salt migration in <br />this area. <br />Revegetation monitoring of the Lower Refuse Pile conducted in 1993 and 1995 yielded <br />values for total vegetation cover, species composition, and total herbaceous production. <br />For comparison, total vegetation cover, species composition, and herbaceous production <br />values from the 1996 historic record study area aze also provided. <br />LOCATION 1993 LRP 1995 LRP 1996 HRSA <br />Total Vegetation Cover 38.8 35.47 38.27 <br />Herb. Production (g/m2) 120.2 203.6 127.7 <br /># Perennial Species (>3%) 9 9 4 <br />This data shows that a successful, stable, and diverse graminoid dominated community has <br />been established on the Lower Refuse Pile. The total cover and herbaceous production <br />values are equivalent or greater than a natural graminoid community (the historic records <br />study area) adjacent to the mine surface facilities with similar aspect and elevation. The <br />Lower Refuse Pile vegetation community was established with the use of 18 to 24 inches of <br />cover over coal refuse. The Refuse Pile Expansion area is to be constructed using the same <br />coal refuse and same refuse placement techniques. The RPE configuration is similar to that <br />of the Lower Refuse Pile, as are the slope and aspect. Reclamation techniques will be those <br />