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IV. Topsoil <br />A. Soil resources information and the topsoil management plans have been reviewed by <br />the Division. Baseline soils' information for the approved permit area can be found in <br />Section 2.04, pages 48-55, Volume I. <br />Two soil types are found in the approved permit area; the Cattacas loam and Nunn <br />loam. The Carracas loam is the main soil disturbed on the cuttently permitted area. <br />The Cattacas loam consists of a surface horizon varying from 0 to 4 inches thick. This <br />horizon is underlain by a subsurface sandy loam or sandy clay loam ranging from 4 to <br />14 inches in thickness. There have been no potential management problems identified <br />with this soil unit and it is considered a good plant growth medium. <br />On May 7, 1981, the Division approved a technical revision to disturb an additional <br />9.71 acres to construct a coal handling facility (crusher load-out), bathhouse, fuel <br />storage area, and pazking area along the southwestern edge of the existing permit area. <br />The majority of this area was covered by the Nunn loam, which has a clay loam to <br />loamy surface soil, six to eight inches thick, over a clay loam to sandy loam subsoil. <br />This soil type is characteristic of the alluvial valley floor along Stollsteimer Creek. The <br />depth of this soil exceeded 72 inches at the sampling location. Within this revision <br />area, 2.4 feet of soil was removed and later replaced. On the remainder of the cuttently <br />permitted area, the operator salvaged and replaced an average of 6 inches of soil <br />material. <br />A separate study was done by Maziah Associates on the soil resources of the Federal <br />Lease Area (August 1983). This study identified four soil types, including variants of <br />the previously described Nunn and Cattacas loams, a rock outcrop complex, and a <br />Celacy variant loam. The rock outcrop complex provides no usable soil material. The <br />Celacy loam at the sample site contained a 3-inch thickness of the A horizon, 8 inches <br />of B21t and B22t horizons, and 7 inches of C horizon. All of this loam material was <br />considered suitable for topsoil stripping. <br />V. Sealing of Drilled Holes and Underground Openings <br />A. The Division will require that each hole, well or other underground opening be capped, <br />sealed, backfilled, or otherwise properly managed (4.07.3). <br />VI. Backfilling and Grading <br />A. )n order to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final graded <br />slopes. The Division approved cut-and-fill tettaces. These tettaces are compatible <br />with the post-mining land use, and will meet all the requirements of this Rule <br />(4.14.2(2)). <br />14 <br />