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Revised <br />~~~ ~ July 28, 1982 <br />2.05.3(5) Topsoil <br />Before the disturbance of any area within the permit area to be <br />affected by the surface coal mining operations of the Viking Coal <br />Company, topsoil, and subsoil will be saved and separately removed <br />and segregated from other material. Upon removal, this material <br />will either be immediately redistributed or stockpiled in locations <br />shown on the Mine Plan Map (Map 6). <br />All topsoil and subsoil, as classified in Section 2.04.9, will <br />be removed from areas to be affected by su e coal mining <br />operations. The graphical representation of the topsoil removal <br />is shown on the Topsoil Handling Map (Map 8). Topsoil and subsoil <br />will be removed in the permit area by a large capacity scraper. <br />Topsoil on slopes and ridgetops associated with the pinion-juniper <br />vegetation type is thin and discontinuous,, and complete removal <br />by a scraper may not be possible in some instances. Although the <br />areas of disturbance in the pinion-juniper type vegetation will <br />be limited in comparison to the mining plan in the grassland type <br />vegetation, the overall revegetation potential will be enhanced <br />by saving as much topsoil as possible. A description of this <br />problem follows. <br />Because the area indicated as 1983(3B) on Map 6 is located in <br />a Pinion-Juniper area, it will be necessary to first remove the <br />vegetation before salvaging of topsoil can begin. This process <br />will result in the loss of some topsoil due to adherence to tree <br />roots, equipment, movement, and mixing into the subsoil. Also, <br />this area has slopes of up to 20 percent, making scraper operation <br />unsuitable on the steeper slopes. In order to minimize topsoil <br />loss, a dozer or a front end loader will place the disturbed <br />topsoil in position so that a scraper can salvage as much as <br />practical. This process might be compared to forming. wind rows. <br />However, because of the site conditions, losses are inevitable. <br />An estimate of 15 percent loss is believed reasonable. Based on <br />a total volume of topsoil on area 1983(3B) of 280 yd3, losses <br />2.5'7 <br />