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<br /> <br />An area-by-area analysis of available soils was prepared by <br />Mark Heffner. The following two paragraphs are excerpts from his <br />report (see Exhibit I, Soils, for the full report). <br />- There is about 74,000 cubic yards (plus or minus 10 percent) <br />of soil available. Examination of the mining and reclamation <br />r maps shows an area of about 636,500 (plus or minus 10 percent) <br />square yards of land to be reclaimed. About 62 percent of that <br />area consists of slopes and the remainder is relatively level. <br />A choice must be made as to where the available soil should be <br />applied. The choice is between placing 4 to 5 inches of soil <br />over the entire area or placing about 9 inches of soil on the <br />slopes and using other plant growth media on the bottom of the <br />pit (the more level areas). It is well known that difficulties <br />in revegetation increase with increasing slope according to <br />almost an exponential function (assuming aspect and other <br />factors are kept constant). It is also known that west- and <br />south-facing slopes ere more difficult to revegetate than are <br />east- and north-facing slopes. None of the slopes are severely <br />steep, but they do face primarily west and south, with only some <br />east- and north-facing slopes. <br />The operator proposes to place 8 to 10 inches of soil on the <br />i slopes. If any soil is left over after placement on the slopes, <br />the soil will be spread on the pit bottom. In the event <br />insufficient soil exists to resoil the pit bottom areas (and this <br />appears likely), the operator proposes that overburden material <br />~, <br />be used for a plant growth medium. This materiel would have a <br />minimum depth of two feet over any clay beds remaining on the pit <br />16 <br />