Laserfiche WebLink
Cultural and Historic Resources <br />The applicant conducted a number of site specific azchaeological investigations of the permit <br />area between 1978 and 1987. During these cultural resource inventories, two (2) archaeological <br />sites and one (1) isolated prehistoric artifact within the permit boundary were identified. Of <br />these, only one was considered significant; a stone hearth. The applicant entered into an <br />agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office regazding mitigation measures of the site. <br />Copies of all survey and testing reports are on file with the State Historic Preservation Office. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The Seneca R Mine is a surface operation that used azea strip techniques. Surface disturbance at <br />the site includes the active surface mining pits, reclaimed auger mining azeas, and mine-related <br />structures and facilities. Mining occurred in two pits, the Wadge and Wolf Creek. The Wadge <br />pit mined the Wadge coal seam to depths of 100 feet. The Wadge pit was oriented northwest to <br />southeast, and progressed in a northeast direction. The Wolf Creek pit recovered the Wolf Creek <br />seam to depths of 140 feet. This pit was oriented northeast to southwest, and progressed in a <br />southeast direction. Production rates prior to this permit term were at 600,000 tons per yeaz. All <br />mining has ceased at the Seneca II Mine, only reclamation activities are ongoing at the site. The <br />final area to be mined was the Wadge East Area pit. Coal removal was completed at this <br />location in August, 1999. Production will continue at the Seneca II-W and Yoast Mines. The <br />650 dragline was moved from the Seneca II Mine to the Yoast Mine in the fall of 1996. <br />Three auger azeas were mined at the Seneca II Mine. These azeas are designated as Area B, D, <br />and E and aze shown on Exhibit 12-1A. Auger Area B, located in the W 1!2 of Section 2, TSN, <br />R87W, began in June 1984 and was completed in January 1985. Auger Area D along the west <br />side of the Wolf Creek Pit commenced in December 1983, temporarily ceased operations in <br />March 1984 and then completed mining in January 1985. -Auger Area E is located on the <br />southern portion of previously mined Wadge West pits. Auger mining of the final Wadge pit <br />highwall occurred from October 1983 to January 1985, again in March and April 1985, and in <br />1987. The highwall was initially retained as a portal faceup for future recovery of the Cow <br />Camp underground reserves. Seneca Coal Company has abandoned plans for using the Auger <br />Area E as a portal location at the present time, and reclamation has commenced. <br />Area strip mining techniques used at the mine included vegetation removal, topsoil stripping, <br />fragmentation and removal of overburden, fragmentation and removal of coal, spoils grading, <br />topsoil replacement and revegetation. <br />Vegetation removal was limited to lazge woody plants which would interfere with topsoil <br />removal. Trees and shrubs aze brushed and backfilled in previously mined pits or placed as brush <br />pile habitat on final graded spoil slopes. Lower stands of less woody vegetation are incorporated <br />into topsoil, increasing organic matter in the soils. <br />6 <br />