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• <br />C~ <br />Overburden Analysis - Number 5A Portal Area <br />The Number 5A Portal Area was developed off of a highwall from a <br />previous surface mine. The surface mining predated the present laws and <br />regulations the coal industry must comply with. As such, the manner in <br />which the mining was conducted was quite different from today's mining <br />practices. <br />With the above in mind and a review of the area, it is evident that <br />topsoil was not salvaged at the time of disturbance for future reclamation <br />work. Empire conducted an overburden sampling program to determine if any <br />zone of the overburden would serve as a better plant growth media than <br />other zones. The overburden sampling plan was developed in consultation <br />with the MLRD. The plan determined the physical and chemical <br />characteristics of the overburden. <br />The spatial sampling requirements were based upon the area to be <br />sampled as per the following: for areas greater than five acres, four <br />random samples were obtained. All samples were taken to a depth of three <br />feet. Once the sample was taken it was divided every six inches and these <br />six inch increments analyzed for the following parameters: <br />pH <br />EC <br />Texture <br />Particle Size <br />* Included reporting calcium, <br />SAR* <br />Saturation Percentage <br />Organic Matter <br />Plant Available Postassium and Phosphorus <br />Nitrate Nitrogen <br />magnesium, and sodium values. <br />In the event the pH was greater than 8.5 from any sample, the sample <br />would have been analyzed for boron and selenium. <br />The results of the overburden analyses are contained herein. The <br />report indicate that the top six inches of the overburden can be removed <br />and stockpiled for use as a plant growth media. <br /> <br />