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SOIL RECOVERY AND REPLACEMENT PLAN General Backgrotmd Muting operations within the azea encompassed bythe current permit boundary were initiated as eazly as 1901, therefore much of the presently affected area was disturbed prior to 1977 (Pre-Law) and soil materials from the disturbed areas were not sampled, characterized, salvaged, or segregated. Following promulgation of SMCRA in 1977, soil materials were recovered and stockpiled from any new disturbance for subsequent reclamation. Recent disturbance areas (in chronological order) where soil recovery has occurred include: • Upper Hubbard Creek Facilities Area* • Sanborn Creek Mute Surface Facilities Area • Substation No. 3 and GGulch Ventilation Installation* • Elk Creek Coal Handling Facilities and Stockpile Expansion Area • West Valley Fill and Haul Road Areas • Elk Creek Mme Surface Facilities Area In addition, minor disturbance and associated soil material recovery have occurred in conjunction with limited coal exploration activities, fire control suppression activities, and coalbed methane drilling and degassification activities. For these minor disturbances and the satellite facilities identified by asterisk above, recovered sod materials were windrowed or stockpiled separately at or neaz the disturbance locations. The Upper Hubbard Creek disturbance area, as well as several of the minor disturbance azeas, has been reclaimed, with replacement of all available stockpiled soil materiak. A separate soil stockpile was established and remains at the Substation No. 3 and GGulch Ventilation Installation for future reclamation. When soil recovery and stockpiling operations were initiated, two areas were established for soil storage for future reclamation, the East Yard Soil Stockpile and the Elk Creek Soil Stockpile. In conjunction with mine facilities expansion activities in 1997-1998, the Elk Creek Soil Stockpile was relocated to an area just north of the expanded coal stockpile area and material from the East Yard Soil Stockpile was recovered and placed in the new stockpile. At approximately the same time that the soil stockpiles were moved and corssolidated, the West Valley Fill, West Valley Haul Road, Pond C, and Pond CLight-Use Road were developed. Soil materials recovered from these disturbance areas were added to the new Elk Creek Soil Stockpile. In conjunction with development and construction of the Elk Creek Mme surface facilities, it became necessary to move the existing soil stockpile to accommodate a new sedimentation pond. Anew soil stockpile (North Elk Creek Soil Stockpile) was established at the north end of the Elk Creek Mine Surface Facilities area. The new soil stockpile was designed and sized to accommodate both the soil moved from the existing soil stockpile and soil materials salvaged from the Elk Creek Mine Surface Facilities Area. The location and configuration of the current soil stockpile is shown on the General Facilities Map, (Map 2.05-M1). Soil Availability and Suitability As described in Section 2.04.9, Soils Resource Infom~ation: "Soik on the ridge-tops and steep valley sideslopes are generally thin and poorly developed with extensive exposures of resistant rock outcrop and stony loamy dominant. Valley deposits range from relatively coarse colluvial mus wasting and slope-wash deposits in the upper valley reaches to thicker, moderately-sorted colluvial/alluvial deposits in the lower valley reaches. Extenstve portions of the lower slopes along the Nortlt Fork Valley have been disturbed by historic mining activities, with surficial materials coruisting of undifferentiated mixed soils and mine waste."