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locations due to their differing amounts of past disturbance. Site specific neclamation plans will <br />be developed for the Pazachute Facility well in advance of final closure. However, preparing <br />such a plan at this time is premature. For instance, future disturbances may create <br />opportunities to salvage additional soil materials for topdressing previously disturbed areas <br />where soil was not stockpiled. Also, since the minimum Yankee Gulch Project life is estimated <br />to be thirty yeazs, it is impossible to detemvne what the adjacent postmining land uses will be <br />and how best to reclaim the facilities area to enhance adjacent property values and to <br />compliment their uses. When the reclamation plan is prepared it will follow the general <br />sequence detailed above. <br />The reclamation of the Piceance Site facility will proceed similazly to that previously described. <br />The main differences will be that the scale of disturbance will be much smaller, and unlike the <br />Well Field mine panels, this facility area will be permanent and it will not[ periodically relocate <br />across the project surface. It is anticipated that the evaporation pond at the Piceance facility will <br />be reclaimed using one of two potential methods. The residual in the bottom of the pond <br />would be tested at closure. Depending upon their nature these materials would then either be <br />hauled to a landfill for disposal (including the liner) or the liner would be ripped, the site <br />covered and revegetated. <br />5.1.1 Backfilling and Grading <br />Grading operations will return azeas to approximate original topography to the extent this is <br />physically and operationally possible. Fill materials will be graded back into cuts. The <br />interface between undisturbed and disturbed areas will be feathered to create a smooth <br />transition to the extent this is possible. Grading will establish positive drainage and provide <br />adequate reconstructed channels to ensure that runoff is safely passed [trough and off of the <br />disturbed area (see Section 3.0). Roads, access routes and other azeas that are excessively <br />compacted will be tipped or otherwise loosened to promote plant growth. The graded surface <br />will be scarified and roughened to avoid the creation of slippage planes between the subsoil and <br />topdressing materials. Terraces and other erosion and sediment control structures that require <br />placement and construction will be constructed during grading operations and prior to soil <br />reconstruction. To the fullest extent physically possible, final surface manipulations during <br />grading operations will proceed along the contour in an effort to minimite features that might <br />promote surface or subsurface erosion or instability (Figure 13). <br />5.1.2 Soil Reconstruction <br />Soil reconstruction involves the redistribution and selective placement of soil reconstruction <br />materials, the application of materials or performance of practices that promote surface <br />stabilization, and the analysis of soil fertility and timely application of appropriate soil <br />amendments that promote the establishment and growth of a permanent, diverse vegetation <br />community capable of supporting the postmining land use. After final brlckfilling and grading <br />has recontoured a site to its final topography, soil reconstruction materials will be distributed. <br />Soils used in reconstruction will be direct hauled from salvage arc:as and immediately <br />redistributed or "live handled" whenever this is physically possible. Livehandling provides a <br />number of benefits including maxir~ng the potential for volunteer growth from residual plant <br />materials and the retention of viable soil microbial populations. Live handling also minimi~eS <br />soil handling and reduces soil management costs. <br />Reconstructed soil thickness for a given area will be detenmined by the original volume of <br />suitable soil available for salvage, the type of reconstruction material used and the growtit <br />requirements of the vegetation community to be established. Normally, d~:eper soils with better <br />American Soda, Ll.P. S-2 • <br />Soil Coatcvation, Fiction and Sediment <br />Convol, reclamation and Revegetation Plan <br />October 28, 1998 <br />Revisal Apri19, 1999 <br />