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Descriytion of the Reclamation Plan <br />Backfillin og f Pits <br />After removal of all coal seams which can economically be recovered, the pits aze backfilled with <br />spoils (overburden and interburden) and then graded by the dragline and dozers. As a dragline <br />removes overburden and interburden, it creates spoil ridges by dumping the material from the pit <br />being opened into the mined out pit. Dozers and graders then smooth the spoil ridges and blend <br />them into the existing topography. Due to the nature of the overburden and interburden after it <br />has been blasted and removed from the pit, the material occupies approximately 25% more <br />volume than in its original condition. When replaced and regraded, the result will be that the <br />topography of the reclaimed surface will be slightly higher than the original surface (an average <br />of 12 feet). <br />Timing_of Backfilling and Gradine <br />Backfilling and grading will not be contemporaneous within the time limits of the Rules and <br />Regulations, due to the long pit lengths, the need to remove interburden from above recoverable <br />coal seams, and cycling times. The operator has committed to the criteria that there will never be <br />more than four ungraded spoil rows (including the active one) at any one time. This has been <br />approved as a variance by the Division and is bonded accordingly. <br />Topsoiline and Seeding <br />After fmal grading of the spoil ridges, topsoil is placed on the spoil to a depth of 18 inches on <br />cropland and 12 inches on rangeland. Variation of +/- 2 inches is allowed due to compaction and <br />operational considerations. Areas aze then seeded with one of three main seed mixes, depending <br />on the elevation. Range site A&B seed mix corresponds to the highest elevations within the <br />mine site, range site C the lower elevations. Cropland occupies the lowest elevations. The A and <br />B range sites use the same seed mix which contains various grasses, forbs and shrubs while the C <br />seed mix has only grasses and forbs. Shrub clumps of approximately 1.6 acres are established <br />from the transplanting of mature shrubs retrieved from the advancing areas of the pits. Seeding <br />will be done by both drill and broadcasting methods. Areas will be drill seeded at a rate of no <br />less than 30 PLS per squaze foot or if broadcast seeded, no less than 45 PLS per square foot. <br />Long-Term Ash Disposal Plan <br />The applicant will continue to backfill Ashmore pit with ash from the Craig Power Plant. Ash <br />will also be disposed in Enfield/Derringerpft beginning in the year 2003. The ash is <br />approximately 60% fly ash, 20% bottom ash, and 20% scrubber sludge. A maximum of 5,250 <br />tons per day of the waste will be disposed of the Trapper Mine with an average of 1,222 tons/day <br />expected. This is equivalent to an average annual volume of waste of about 231 acre-feet, after <br />Trapper Mine 14 June 30, 2003 <br />