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The regional climate of the Nucla Mine area is typical of intermountain <br />regions. It is characterized by cold winters, hot summers, low rainfall, and <br />short growing seasons. The Nucla Mine receives approximately twelve inches of <br />precipitation in an average year. The majority of the precipitation falls <br />between October and May. <br />There are two primary soil series present on undisturbed sites within the <br />Nuc1a Mine permit area. The major soil is the Shavano series. It is a fine, <br />loamy, mixed, frigid (ustic) Camborthid, Topsoil quality is good to an <br />average of eighteen inches on the gentler slopes and twelve inches on the <br />steeper slopes. <br />The Persayo series is found in conjunction with the Shavano soils on isolated <br />ridges and steeper slopes in the permit area. The surface soil may range in <br />texture from sandy clay loam to clay loam with variable content of shale and <br />sandstone fragments. These steeply sloping, shallow soils are less suitable <br />for topsoil than the Shavano series described previously. An average of six <br />inches of fair topsoil may be obtained from the Persayo series. <br />Five vegetation communities are found in the Nucla Mine permit area: annual <br />grains and hay (agricultural), grassland, upland sagebrush, juniper, and <br />riparian. Agricultural and grassland communities predominate. The grassland <br />community is an abandoned hayfield. The upland sagebrush community dominates <br />on lands not disturbed by agricultural practices. The juniper community <br />covers 1.8 acres. This type is actually an agricultural sub-type as the <br />herbaceous understory is alfalfa hay meadow. Utah juniper trees are well <br />scattered. The riparian community covers 1.9 acres and occurs along drainages. <br />The Nucla Mine permit area and surrounding area is used by a large variety of <br />wildlife including coyotes, fox, mule deer, and numerous bird species. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />The area to be permitted encompasses 426.6 acres of which 145.7 acres will be <br />affected by mining activities, Several areas of unregraded "pre-law" spoils <br />existed when Peabody acquired the mine in 1963. These areas were reclaimed in <br />conjunction with existing mine operations. Since 1986 and inclusive of 1988 <br />coal will be removed at a combined total of 311,750 tons from four different <br />areas. <br />Prior to the mine temporarily ceasing operations in 1983, coal was mined using <br />two 5-yard draglines to remove overburden. Since reactivation of mining <br />operations in late 1986, Peabody has changed to using dozers and scrapers for <br />overburden removal activities. Two coal seams will be removed from Mine Areas <br />1 and 4, whereas one coal seam will be removed from Mine Areas 2 and 3. The <br />upper coal seam was previously mined by Peabody in Mine Areas 2 and 3 under <br />interim permit 75-36 issued by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board. <br />Prior to disturbance, and in advance of the pit, brush is cleared and topsoil <br />is removed and salvaged. Topsoil is stockpiled if a replacement area is not <br />available. If stockpiled, topsoil is seeded for protection. After topsoil <br />removal, the overburden is drilled and blasted in advance of the pit. <br />Overburden is then stripped by the dozers and scrapers, Peabody has <br />calculated a new overburden swell factor of 14.99%, reduced from the previous <br />swell factor of 25~ when draglines were used. <br />-6- May 6, 1988 <br />