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topsoiled, and because the soil volume estimate is probably conservative, and because there are other soil <br />resources on site that are too small to actually include, it does not appear there is any real deficiency of <br />soil. That is, the amount of soil present in the lazge stockpiles and the amount in small, unmeasured <br />stockpiles is very likely close to the amount that would be needed to meet or possibly slightly exceed the <br />minimum of six inches of soil. It should also be noted that because overburden is actually subsoil, hr an <br />edaphic sense, excess overburden can be used to increase depth of growth medium because the overburden <br />(subsoil) is suitable to use as a growth medium, even though less viable than the actual soil. <br />Therefore considering the pit depths, extent of the disturbances, and the amount of stockpiled and <br />other available material present on the site, there appears to be very little doubt that the minimal <br />requirements contained in the reclamation plan can be met. <br />New Bonding Calculations: <br />Table 3 shows the calculations for the new suggested bond amount. These calculations are based <br />upon the current permit bond and the acreage limitations contained in the permitted plans. The table is <br />divided into three sections. The first section determines the mean bond per acre as calculated from the <br />permitted plan. <br />The second section presents the acreage values discussed previously in this technical revision. This <br />includes the total acreage as well as a breakdown of that acreage into three bonding categories that often <br />delineate major changes in the cost of reclamation. That is, not all disturbances cost the same amount to <br />reclaim; land ready to be seeded costs much less than a mining pit. <br />The third section calculates the bond hr two ways. The first approach simply multiplies the current <br />acreage, including the reclaimed land, by the Mean Amount of Bond per Acre from part 1 of Table 3. But, <br />because about 55% of all the affected land is in some stage of reclamation, that amount applies over <br />$3,000 per acre to land that is nicely revegetated and shows little or no erosional damage or potential for <br />damage. Therefore, the last calculation applies different values to the three different categories contained in <br />part 2 of Table 3. The Mean Amount of Bond per Acre from part 1 is applied to all affected land that has <br />not undergone any reclamation. Land that has been reclaimed but is not ready for release, primarily due to <br />vegetation that is still far too young to consider, uses a value of $400 per acre. This amount takes into <br />account the possibility that some erosion control, regrading and reseeding might be needed if a <br />thunderstorm washes out some of the drainage areas. The land that is considered to be ready for release or <br />very probably ready for release receives a $150 per acre value for minor adjustments (minor erosion <br />control, weed control, etc.). The rather large amount of land in this last category will be applied for release <br />in the near future once a thorough examination can be done of the land. <br />At the very bottom of Table 3 is the suggested bond amount. This amount ($270,000) is based on <br />the category breakdown approach which seems to be the most fair. If the 57.60 acres of land considered <br />ready for release is in fact released the Mean Amount of Bond per Acre will decline to $2,417.81, but one <br />third of that remaining acreage is actually in the final stages of reclamation simply waiting for better <br />vegetation development. <br />Page 7 of 8 <br />