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<br />Sediment and drainage control at the site has been accomplished by diversion ditches and a <br />system of road drainage and collection ditches and culverts which direct disturbed runoff to a <br />sediment pond at the base of the disturbed azea. <br />Coal mining operations began in the last half of November, 1992. The expectation at the <br />time was that 100,000 tons of coal would be mined from the west side during Phase I of the <br />operation. A series of five pits, each 40 feet wide and 800 feet to 900 feet long, would be <br />developed, with reclamation of the pits occurring contemporaneously. Approximately 6,000 <br />tons of coal would be produced per month, with coal quality at around IZ,000 BTU. Phase II <br />operations on the east side of Engleville Gulch were to yield 50,000 tons of coal. However, <br />coal quality sharply declined as the first pit advanced to the north. In addition, a hard <br />sandstone bed, 4 feet thick, capped [he coal, increasing overburden removal costs. After only <br />filling several coal rail cars with coal, the operations were halted. Notification of temporary <br />cessation status was received at the Division on February 11, 1993. <br />Backfilling and grading of the Phase I pit commenced in the Spring of 1993. The azea <br />disturbed by the West strip pit was 7,89 acres. This area received final grading during the <br />summer of 1993. Additional areas were disturbed on site for access roads, a sediment pond, a <br />topsoil stockpile, a fuel storage area, an office azea, two drill sites, and a collection ditch <br />totalling 3.23 acres. These additional support aeeas, with the exception of the oil containment <br />area, were reclaimed in 1993. <br />Topsoil replacement and seeding of the permanent seed mix was accomplished in the summer <br />and fall 1993. In October 1994 the Division determined that no[ all stockpiled topsoil had <br />been utilized. Remaining topsoil was redistributed by the operator at the southern end of the <br />permit area in November 1994. Contour furrows were established and seeding of the <br />southern end occurred at the end of 1994. The oil containment area was graded and topsoil <br />applied in November 1994. Seeding, mulching and netting of the former topsoil stockpile <br />footprint and the oil containment azea was achieved in late 1994. <br />7 <br />