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3 -6- The "E" seam, which is the Seam to be mined at Eastside, occurs within the Iles Formation of the Upper Cretaceous Mesa Verde Group. The major geologic structure in the permit area is the Grand Hogback Monocline. And subsequent erosion of overlying strata has resulted in the exposure of resistant Mesa Verde strata which dip 45-60 degrees to the southwest in the permit area. As a result of the resistant sandstones, surficial topography in the permit area is characterized by steep slopes (30% to 50%) and high gradient ephemeral drainages. A narrow band of unconsolidated deposits occur along Harvey Gap Drainage. Channel erosion has dissected the unconsolidated materials to a depth of up to 80 feet in the permit area. Soils in the permit area are rocky and poorly developed on the steep valley side slopes, and are classified as residual Torrienthents. Deeper, more well developed clayey to loamy soils derived from colluvial and alluvial material are present along the toe slopes and valley bottom. Soils in the immediate vicinity of the proposed Eastside mine have been disturbed by previous coal mining activity. Portions of the permit area have been disturbed to the extent that only weedy annual vegetation persists. Vegetation along the valley bottom is dominated by a dense cover of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate) with an understory of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and ye o1T w sweetc over Mellotus officinalis). A juniper woodland community occurs on the steep valley s- i'~es~pes on bow-sides of Harvey Gap. Land use in the immediate vicinity of the permit area is undeveloped land and wildlife habitat. Irrigated agriculture is an important land use along the terraces to the south of the Grand Hogback. Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans The operations proposed by Eastside Coal Company consist of room and pillar underground mining extracting up to 200,000 tons of coal per year from the "E" coal seam. Under exploration permit CX-186-00, entries were driven to the east into the coal seam which dips 59o to the south. From the outcrop, on the east side of Harvey Gap Drainage, a 3 entry system will extend approximately 3500 feet to the lease boundary. Mining will be "across the pitch" of the steeply dipping seam. The initial entries will slope down into the seam for several hundred feet and then will be driven up at 20%. Crosscuts will create blocks of coal to be mined by a room and pillar method. Life of mine projections anticipate development of 5 seams with a maximum production of one million tons per year and a mine life of 20 years.