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east to west with the long axis of the pits generally north to south. The <br />overburden will be excavated using dozers and a shovel and trucks and then <br />placed or pushed into an adjacent or nearby mined-out pit panels, with the <br />exception of the initial cut, which will be placed adjacent to the pit onto <br />land designated as a temporary overburden stockpile (see Map 2.05.3-1). <br />During overburden removal operations, some selective handling of material <br />will be performed based on chemical and physical core data contained in <br />Section 2.04.6, Geology Description, and discussions presented in Section <br />2.05.4(2)(d>, Topsoil (Redistribution) of the permit application. <br />Following recovery of the lower Dakota coal seam, the pit will be backfilled <br />to approximate original contour. Overburden testing will be done to ensure <br />that acid or toxic forming overburden is not placed within four feet of the <br />surface and areas retreated as necessary. Topsoil will then be replaced in <br />thicknesses of 1.0 feet on dryland pastures and 1.5 feet on irrigated <br />pastures. The areas will then be seeded and irrigated for pasture <br />establishment. <br />Operations on Prime Farmland <br />Operations on the prime farmlands identified in the southeast portion of the <br />New Horizon Mine 2 permit area will be substantially the same as on other <br />areas except for soil handling procedures. Soil on prime farmland will be <br />removed in a two-lift operation. One foot of topsoil and three feet of <br />subsoil will be removed, stored separately and replaced. As soil is being <br />replaced, each 12- to 18-inch lift will be scarified to reduce compaction, <br />increase infiltration, promote surface roughness, and produce a more favorable <br />plant root growth medium. The prime farmland areas will then be revegetated <br />with species suitable for hay production and will be used for irrigated <br />hayland. <br />Water Rights and Usage <br />The water rights, usage and augmentation plan is presented in Section <br />2.05.6(3) of the permit application. There are 11 surface water rights <br />which have the potential of being impacted by Western Fuels operations at <br />New Horizon Mine 2. These are upgradient of proposed Sediment Pond 007 at the <br />site. There are 29 water wells adjacent to the mine sites. Of these, just <br />two, W-009 and D-041 on Figure 2 of Tab 16, could be impacted by future mining <br />activities at the New Horizon 2 site. These two wells are 150 feet or less <br />deep and derive their water from near surface aquifers. At the end of five <br />years of operation, Western Fuels estimated that drawdown might be one foot <br />within a 0.7 mile radius of the center of the New Horizon 2 pit. Western <br />Fuels proposes, with owner consent, to monitor these wells to detect any <br />changes in their hydrologic conditions. <br />Western Fuels-Colorado will use the following alternative water sources to <br />mitigate any ground or surface water right impacts. Western Fuels has <br />available 114.5 acre-feet of Surface water, which is a consumptive use credit <br />associated with Western Fuels' ownership of 27 shares of the Colorado <br />Cooperative Company (CCC). Western Fuels has an absolute 4 acre-foot storage <br />right for the 001 reservoir at the New Horizon 1 mining area and is projected <br />to have 18 acre-feet of pit pumpage during the non-irrigation season available <br />_12_ <br />