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. SENECA COAL COMPANY II-W MINE I. HISTORY AND BACgGROUND Seneca Coal Company operates the Seneca II, Seneca II-West, and the Yoast Mines in Northwest Colorado. Seneca Coal Company began coal production in 1968 at the Seneca II Mine. The nrining progressed to Seneca II-West in 1990 and to Yoast in 1996. Coal production totally ceased in January 20061eaving 4,000 aces of disturbed and partially reclaimed land within the Seneca mining complex. The terrain and climate provide interesting, and intriguing challenges to mining and reclamation technology, equipment operation, post mine contouring and revegetation. The coal lies at a 18-33% pitching grade. The terrain varies in elevation from 6,300 feet to 8,500 feet The climate in Northwest Colorado provides a 65-day growing season. The annual predpitation is 17 inches of moisture, mostly in the form of snow. The post mine land use for Seneca redarnation is wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. Most of this land was overgrazed prior to ntuthig and invasive weeds continue to be a challenge. The post mine teaain is steep, up to 33%, resulting in significant erosion potential. The II-W Mine area contains 1248.5 disturbed acres, and as of October 2006, ],100 acres have been graded; 1,008 acres topsotled; and 938 acres reseeded. The success of the reclamadon program at Seneca Coal Company is evident even within a climate of • changing regulations, high altitude, and very steep adverse slopes. II. GOALS OF THE YOAST MINE RECLAMATION PROGRAM • Establish a successional stage capable of sustainurg and improving over time. • Cooperate with all stakeholders, (landowners; Div, of Wildlife; Div. of Reclamation, Mining and Safety; Office of Surface Mining; and environmental groups), to establish a successful reclaimed useable landscape. • Continuously improve the reclamadon process to enhance the land and leave the land in a condition equal to or better than we found it III. RECLAMATION PRACTICES Normally, area surface mining is restricted to coal reserves ]aping in a relatively level plane below a level or gently rolling surface terrain. However, at the II-W Mine, the geologic structure is such that the coal seam outcrops at the top of the mountain and dips at IS% to 33%, while the overlying surface dips at approximately 18% to 35%. The relatively high angle of dip on the coal seam and surface requires some aeative modification of what would be considered a conventional backfill and grading plan. All backfilled and graded spoils are graded to create an irtegulaz topography. In addition, reclaimed azeas with an overall slope grade of 30% or more require special attention. SCC has funded geotechnical stability studies to ensure acceptable factors of safety are achieved on these steep slopes. • In these steep slope conditions, gravity works against you. As the coal is uncovered the overburden tends to gravitate downh$1, requiring massive efforts to return the material to the upper portions of Seneca II-IY/ 2006 Award Nomixation poge /