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<br />2.04.9 SOILS RESOIIRCE INFORMATION <br />................................................................................................................................................................................... <br />....................................................................................................................................................................................... . <br />........................................................................................................................................................................... <br />......................................................................................................................................................................... ......... <br />............................................................................................................................................................................................ <br />...................................................................................................................................................................................... <br />Much of the existing site was extensively disturbed by past <br />mining operations in which no topsoil was salvaged. The Farmers <br />Mine is located only a few hundred feet east of the Fruita ~2 <br />coal pad and portal area. <br />In 1979, Mr. Dan Lynn and Mr. Dan Champion, then Soils Specialist <br />of the Agricultural Service in Grand Junction, Colorado, <br />conducted a soil survey of the site. This study also calculated <br />volumes of soil in the existing stockpiles as well as lab <br />analysis of this soil. The volume estimates and lab analyses of <br />this soil are included in this section. The volume estimates were <br />verified by measurements made in August of 1989. <br />• In general, the site contained very little good topsoil which <br />could be stripped. The "A" horizon was less than one inch <br />thickness in most cases. <br />The volume calculations shown in this section are for 3 existing <br />topsoil stockpiles located at the southern end of the disturbed <br />area. Map #2 shows the location of these topsoil stockpiles and <br />other existing facilities. <br />The total volume from the three stockpiles is 3845 cubic yards. <br />This includes horizon A and S material. An additional amount of <br />suitable topsoil material is located in the small sediment pond <br />dam located immediately west of the soil stockpiles. It is <br />estimated that this dam contains S00 cubic yards of suitable <br />material, therefore the total volume available for respreading is <br />4345 cubic yards. <br />The lab analyses enclosed was taken from the soils report done by <br />Dan Champion for Dorchester Coal Company in May of 1979. The "A" <br />and "B" horizons were combined for the analysis. Samples 4,5,6 <br />and 7 represent the topsoil stockpile material. Nitrate, organic <br />content and iron were above average in these samples, which Mr. <br />Champion felt was a result of minor amounts of coal present in <br />the material. He suggested that the stockpiles be treated with <br />calcium carbonate to raise the pH and precipitate the excess <br />iron. Dorchester Coal wrote in their earlier permit application <br />• that they would comply with this recommendation. <br />22 <br />