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[he Division upon finding: 1) that [he original stream channel will be.restored; 21 <br />during and after mining, the water quantity and quality from the stream section <br />5om within 100 feet of [he surface coal mining operation shall not be adversely <br />affected; and 3) that the operation's reclamation plan provides for the <br />reestablishment of the appropriate riparian vegetation. Locations of these <br />structures are shown on Pernut Map 26. Stream buffer exemption signs have been <br />postt:d at appropriate locations. <br />III. Topsoil <br />Baseline soils information is presented in Section 2.04 and Exhibits 12 and 13 of the <br />permit application. Maps 19 and 19a show the locations of the soil mapping units. The <br />topsoil handling and management plan is given in Section 2.05.3 of the permit <br />application. Final reclamation plans, including soils information, is given for the <br />Williams Fork Strip Pit in Exhibit 24. Topsoil stockpile locations are shown on the <br />structures and renewable resources map (Map 25). These locations are verbally <br />described on Tables 58 through 62. <br />The permit area has had a long history of surface and underground mining resulting in <br />many areas of disturbance where no topsoil was salvaged. In other areas, subsoil and <br />topsoil have been stripped and stockpiled. Some limited areas may be disturbed in the <br />future and in these areas the suitable soil will be stripped and stockpiled. The majority <br />of the soils which have been salvaged or will be salvaged in the future vary in texture <br />from clay or silty loams to sandy loams. Most of the soils tested were silty clay loams. <br />Most soil material which has been or remains to be stripped is rated as fair with the <br />major limiting factor being the somewhat high clay content. Effective rooting depth <br />vazies from 20 to 60 inches, with the most productive soils found in the bottomland <br />areas. Soil reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline, with the exception of small scattered <br />sodic substrata. These small isolated areas probably formed in place from weathered <br />sodic shales. <br />In the areas where topsoil is available for replacement, the replacement depth will vary <br />from 6 to l8 inches (Permit Tables 58 through 62}. The material is suitable for seedbed <br />materitd. Because of the lack of available topsoil in some of the previously disturbed <br />areas, the utilization overburden material as a plant growth medium has been approved. <br />These :ueas include the No. SA Portal azea and portions of the old shop, temporary <br />office and some other areas of the No. SA Portal area (see Table 59 in the permit <br />applicationl. <br />Stipulation No. 2 was formerly attached to the permit, which required RAG Empire to <br />submit results of overburden sampling to the Division for overburden proposed for use <br />as plant growth media. RAG Empire satisfied this stipulation with submission of [he <br />required information in Technical Revision No. 8 in October 1987. <br />A. The Livision has waived the requirement for clearing of vegetation cover prior to <br />topsoil removal. The applicant has demonstrated that inclusion of vegetation cover <br />in salvaged topsoil is necessary or desirable to ensure soil productivity consistent <br />26 <br />