Laserfiche WebLink
The number of spoil ridges associated with irregular box cuts, certain inside or outside curves, short <br />pits, facility areas, and haulage ramps may exceed four spoil rows to facilitate grading. Second, timing • <br />of grading for specific spoil areas is based upon excavation cycle times and pit configuration. Rough <br />backfilling and grading will be kept within four spoil ridges and within 180 days, except as discussed <br />above. Cycle times are dependent upon factors such as pit configurations, excavator performance, and <br />customer demand. Third, once grading begins, the number of acres graded annually in a given pit is <br />approximately equal to the number of acres disturbed annually. In certain circumstances, this <br />generalization may not apply because of spoil material needed to achieve the designed postmining <br />landform. For example, the backfilling and grading of box pit spoil, final highwalls, and deep ramps <br />typically require the movement of large volumes of spoil for great distances and requires up to two <br />years after coal removal for final grading. Also, grading of certain box cut spoil areas (where box cut <br />material is spoiled on recoverable coal) will be temporarily delayed until the recoverable coal is stripped <br />(see Exhibit 19-1 and 19-1A). All of the acres graded in a given year are projected to be topsoiled and <br />seeded as soon as operationally feasible based on the reclamation timetable and site conditions, and <br />will represent reclaimed acres in Table 19-1. Soil replacement will be completed within one year <br />following final grading, provided the area is not being used for facility or monitoring-related activities <br />li.e., items such as, but not limited to ramps, deadhead routes, light use roads, haul roads, ponds, <br />drainages, diversions, boneyards, office, or shop areasl. If final grade is achieved during fall or winter <br />months, soil will be redistributed the following summer or fall to accommodate fall seeding. When final <br />grade is accomplished during spring or summer months, soil wilt be redistributed by fall to <br />accommodate fall seeding. • <br />A variance to Rule4.14.1 1111c1 is requested for select areas of the final highwalls in existing mining <br />area. The final highwalls in the A Pit areas were left open to accommodate auger mining. Angering <br />has been completed in these areas and backfilling efforts are close to being completed. It is anticipated <br />that the backfilling efforts will be completed by the end of 2003. SCC proposes to replace the auger <br />mining technique with a highwall mining technique. <br />The remaining final highwalls in the current and future mine plan are proposed to be left open to <br />accommodate highwall mining (discussed in Attachment 12-4 Highwall Miningl~ The primary need for <br />the future variance is to accommodate the highwall mining schedule at the Yoast Mine through 2004. <br />Following is a listing of the variance areas requested. <br />• A Pit - 4,000 feet -backfilling to be completed by end of 2003 <br />• A Pit - Ridgeline Wadge Pit - 1,600 feet end of 2004 <br />• B Pit -approximately 18 acres adjacent to active pit to be final graded along with the B Pit • <br />backfilling - to be completed by March 31, 2004. <br />TR-46 5a Revisetl 12/03 <br />