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June 1, 2000 Responses to Comments TR-32 Page 6 inches (7.650 cy) of soil be replaced on the Elk Creek facilities area during reclamation. The remaining excess soil material (approximately 5,750 cy) from this area would then be used to supplement existing available suitable soil resources for reclamation of the support facilities area at the lower end of Elk Creek. 9. Appendix H does not specifically address flee Elk Creek Mine. Please add a description of the site- specific soils requested above. A logical place would be on page 2.04-88, after the 1997 West Valfey Fill Soil Survev. Response: Appendix H has been revised and updated to include information on soil resources in [he Elk Creek Mine facilities area based on the recent supplemental soil sampling effort. Copies of the revised Appendix accompany these responses. J0. The Soils Resource lnforntatiort on revised page 2.04-57 also needs to include a sttmntary ojthe soils in t/te Elk Creek surface facilities area. This request /ms not been addressed. Response: Appendix H includes an updated version of the baseline soils discussion, including the soils in the Elk Creek Mine facilities area. Appendix H is referenced on existing page 2.04-57. //. Response accepted (re: designation nfAppendix H). This will be reviewed when PR-04 is submitted. Response: No response necessary. l2. See response to question 7 above. The topsoil mass balnrtce is also needed to prepare the reclnntatiort cost estimate. Response: As noted in the response to Comment 8, OMI anticipates recovery of an average of 14 inches of suitable soil material (13,400 cy) from the Elk Creek Mine facilities area and is proposing that 8 inches of soil be replaced over this area (7,650 cy). The excess soil (5,750 cy) would be used to supplement existing suitable soil resources for reclamation of the other mine disturbance areas where there is a pre-law soil replacement deficit. OM[ has committed to document soil recovery volumes through a survey of the soil stockpile following completion of soil recovery operations and to utilize any excess soils in reclamation of the support facilities area. If actual soil recovery volumes vary significantly from this estimate, any appropriate adjustments in the soil material balance and reclamation cost estimate can be made at that time. 13. The relocation of the lower Elk Creek stockpile has been addressed. Please include the volume of topsoil ntaterenl to be relocated, or reference where in the permit the volume of this stockpile is addressed. Alco, please refer to the questions 2 and 74. Response: The volume of the existing Elk Creek soil stockpile was previously documented by surveying the stockpile, however, minor changes in stockpile volume have resulted From additions to and removals from the stockpile subsequent to the original survey. In response to DMG concerns relative to the stability of the relocated Elk Creek soil stockpile as well as OMI's concerns relative to provision for adequate soil storage capacity, OMI recently completed a resurvey and volumetric calculations For the existing soil stockpile and have reviewed and revised both the design and the associated stability analysis for the relocated soil stockpile. Based on the recent survey, the existing Elk Creek soil stockpile contains approximately 16,500 cy of soil material. Relocation of this material and the addition of suitable soil recovered from the Elk Creek Mine facilities area (approximately 13,400 cy) will result in approximately 29,900 cy of soil stockpile in the new North Elk Creek soil stockpile. Since this stockpile is designed to contain up [0 40,000 cy of soil material, excess stockpile capacity ofapproximately 10,100 cy is available for storage of any surplus soil beyond the projected recovery volumes. Revised stockpile design information and stability analyses' accompany these responses for replacement in the permit document. N', N'IW: /,~M1Pl Nfery•nxilu Ca.vrv, L/srm i4