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The coal loadout lies at an elevation of approximately 6400 feet on the bottom land of Dry Creek. Land use surrounding the loadout is primarily agriculture and grazing. The valley contains the Dry Creek drainage, an ephemeral stream, which is a tributary of the perennial Yampa River. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan Of the 1,402 acres permitted by H-G Coal Company, 409 acres were disturbed by the operation 54 acres at the loadout and 355 acres at the mine site. This represents a reduction of disturbance from the original]y approved plan. Coal was removed at a rate of 500,000 tons per year through 1986. In 1986 coal production ceased and final reclamation operations commenced at the mine. This resulted in complete backfilling of the existing pit, top soiling and seeding over the entire mined area and construction of additional erosion control structures. There are no plans to reclaim the mine buildings and the loadout structure at this time, in anticipation of improved market conditions. The coal was removed using an area strip mining method allowing for multiple seam extraction. The five coal seams are mined on separate benches such that more than one seam can be mined at a time. During the life of the mine the high wall advanced toward the east and south. In advance of the operation, vegetation was cleared and topsoil was salvaged and stockpiled. Topsoil stockpiles were seeded for protection and stabilization. Overburden was removed by breaking and hauling material from the pit. Rubblization resulted in angular fragments of rock, making it impossible to restore the material to its original laminar nature. The volume of material to be replaced exceeded the volume of material in its original state. This necessitated the development of an excess spoil pile south of County Road 53 northeast of the pit. Backfilling, grading and seeding of the existing mine pit and topsoil pile areas was ninety percent completed in late 1986. Uegetation characteristics will be monitored until the post-mining conditions are approximately eoual to adjacent areas of comparable vegetation. The final reclaimed surface twill blend in with the surrounding undisturbed areas. The loadout area is approximately seven (7) miles northeast of the mine along County Road 53. Coal was trucked froln the mine along a paved portion of County Road 53 to the tipple. At the tipple the coal was dumped into a crusher, conveyed to a stockpile and then Toaded onto trains. The coal loadout will be reclaimed when no longer needed by the operator. The disturbed area at the loadout will be cleared of coal refuse, the surface will be ripped, the tracks removed, the embankments regraded and all disturbed areas twill be topsoiled and seeded. The loadout facilities area will be reclaimed to be used for hay production. Reclamation success will be determined on the basis of a comparison with the production of hay from an adjacent area. -5-