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TAB 12 <br />COAL RESOURCE RECOVERY PLAN <br />• <br />Introduction <br />This tab describes in general terms all of those aspects of the mining operation uh ich are <br />proposed to be conducted within the area estimated for life-of -operations and includes <br />mining those reserves presently determined [o be economically recoverable by [he area <br />surface mining method. In addition, specific mining operations proposed to be conduc[etl <br />within the permit area as defined in Rule 1, Section 1.04(89) of the Rules and Regulations <br />are described in detail. <br />The following narrative describes the mining methods and equipment, to be used at the <br />Yoast Mine. <br />Mlni ng Ope ra[tOns - Life-of-Ope railons <br />the general type of mining employed at Yoast wilt be the area surface mining method. this <br />type of mining is utilized in many of the western and midwestern coal fields where the <br />reserves cover relatively extensive areas and the Coal stratum lies at a fairly constant <br />depth below the surface of [he land. Reserves of this type are generally developed by <br />conventional dragline or shovel methods which are typified by the excavation of a sequence <br />of relatively parallel pits extending several thousand feet in length. the overburden <br />from each successive pit is placed or "spoiled" into the previous adjacent pit after the <br />coal has been removed and the operation advances to a limit line, known as a recovery <br />line, which is determined by property ownership, coal outcrop, coal quality, equipment <br />limitations, prevailing market conditions, or a variety of other inter-related factors <br />(A.I.M.E. 19737. Prior to the overburden removal stage, the mining area is prepared by <br />clearing antl removing the upper soils suitable for revegetation, which are either <br />stockpiled for future use or redistributed directly on graded spoil. After the overburden <br />and coal removal stages, the resulting spoils are graded [o approximate original con[ou r, <br />[opsoi led, and seeded. <br />• Normally, area surface mining is restricted to Coal reserves which lie in a relatively <br />level plane below a level or gently rolling surface terrain. However, at Yoas[, [he <br />