GENERAL45645

• Permit No: C1981044
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 2/28/1994
• Doc Name: PROPOSED DESISION & FINDINGS OF COMPLIANCE FOR RN2
• Permit Index Doc Type: FINDINGS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

The permit area has had a long history of surface and undergzound mining
resulting in many areas of disturbance where no topsoil was salvaged, in
other areas, subsoil and topsoil have been stripped an3 stockpiled. Some
limited areas may be disturbed in the future and in these areas the
suitable soil will be stripped and stockpiled. The majority of the Boils
which have been salvaged or will be salvaged in the future vary in texture
from clay or silty looms to sandy looms. Most of the isoils tested were
silty clay looms. Most soil material which has been or remains to be
stripped is rated as fair with the major limiting factor being the somewhat
high clay content. Effective rooting depth varies from 20 to 60 inches,
with the most productive soils found in the bottomland areas. Soil
reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline, with the exception of small
scattered sodic substrata. These small isolated areas probably formed in
place from weathered sodic shales.
In the areas where topsoil is available for replacement, the replacement
depth will vary from 6 to 18 inches (Permit Tables 58 through 62). The
proposed material is suitable for seedbed material. Because of the lack of
available topsoil in some of the previously disturbed areas, the operator
has proposed to utilize overburden material as a plant growth medium.
These areas include the No. SA Portal area and portions of the old shop,
temporary office and some other areas of the No. SA Portal area (see
Table 59, page 2.05.3-47R and page 2.05.4-SR).
Stipulation No. 2 was formerly attached to the permit, °ahich required
C5/prue Empire to submit results of overburden sampling 'to the Division for
overburden proposed for use as plant growth media. Cyprus Empire satisfied
this stipulation with submission of the required information in Technical
Revision No. 8 in October 1987.
A. The Division proposes to waive the requirement for clearing of vege-
tation cover prior to topsoil removal. The applicant has demonstrated
that inclusion of vegetation cover in salvaged topsoil is necessary or
desirable to ensure soil productivity consistent with the poet-mining
land use (4.06.2(1)). Large shrubs and woody plant species will be
removed prior to topsoil salvage. Generally, no efi.'ort will be made to
remove grasses, forbs, and smaller shrubs and woody plants prior to
recovery. Cyprus Empire Corporation proposes that incorporation of
this vegetative material into the topsoil helps provide mulch material
within the replaced topsoil and provides a source of indigenous plant
propagules to aid in establishment of initial vegetative culture on
reclaimed areas.
B. The Division has determined selected overburden materials shall be used
for, or as a supplemenC to, topsoil. This variance applies to areas at
the 5A Portal, old shop, and temporary office area due to their distur-
bance prior to the Act and the lack of salvaged topsoil at these loca-
tions. This determination is based on physical and chemical analyses
and field-site trials approved by the Division. Previously, Stipula-
tion No. 2 had been attached to the permit. This stipulation was
complied with upon the submission of Technical Revision No. B. Details
of the overburden analysis may be found in Exhibit 41 (4 .06 .2 (4)(a)).
IV. Sealing of Drilled Holes and Underground Openings
A detailed description of the sealing of underground openings may be found
in Section 2.05.4 of the permit with a typical portal aezcl illustrated in
Figure 57. Drill hole sealing may be found on page 2.05.3-21 of the
permit. All existing and future drill holes are planned to be sealed in
accordance with Rule 4.07.
32