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<br />Unsuitable Spoil Mitigation Plan <br />If one or more parameters fall within the unsuitable range at a given grid point, athree-part mitigation <br />plan will be implemented. <br />1. The area around a suspect hole will be sampled on a closer spacing interval in order to <br />better define the lateral extent and variability of the unsuitable material. <br />2. In those areas where specrfic geochemical or physical problems are encountered, the <br />regraded spoil will be mechanically loosened and mixed by ripping, chiseling, or approved <br />alternate forms of scarification, The major advantages of scarfication are related to the <br />physical properties of the spoil. The topsoil and spoil are scarified to decrease compaction, <br />increase aeration and water movement, and increase plant rooting depths. Increased water <br />movement may, to some degree, allow more downward leaching of carbonates. Therefore, <br />although the greatest benefits of scarrfying are related to the physical soil properties <br />(density, porosity), a lesser geochemical benefit (increased rate of carbonate leaching due <br />to increased water movement) may result. <br />3. If none of the above procedures satisfactorily mitigate a certain problem, the Division will be <br />notified and recommended actions will then be implemented. <br />WFC will maintain and periodically review the existing quality control program used_to evaluate <br />overburden, interburden, and spoil handling activities at New Horizon Mina. WFC will maintain records <br />of the sampling results for each logical reclamation unit. <br />New Horizon 2 Compactibility and Fsodibility <br />Determining the compaction potential of disturbed overburden is important to assess postmine spoil <br />conditions including: hydraulic conductivity, revegetation success, landscape stability, and equipment <br />trafficability. Generally, stability and/or compaction problems are related to soils high in shrink swell <br />clays, soils with large proportions of sand and clay (sandy clay texture), and soils with approximately <br />equal proportions of the sand, silt, and clay-size particle fractions. These three conditions are not highly <br />desirable since a high shrink swell clay content in postmine landscapes causes poor stability and low <br />permeability conditions, a sandy clay textured soil develops surface crusting problems, and an equal <br />particle-size distribution causes excessive compaction which results in restricted water movement and <br />root growth. <br />The first two considerations listed above were among those used for establishing the grading system <br />for texture. Unsuitable clay textures were identrfied within two thin lenses of the upper overburden in <br />2.05.4[2)[d)-4 <br />