Laserfiche WebLink
Soil Redistribution Thickness. The mean soil redistribution thickness is calculated by <br />• comparing the disturbance area that requires soil replacement as of December 31, 1990 with <br /> the soil reserve in stockpiles and soil to be salvaged ahead of mining. The disturbance <br /> area was determined from the 1989 Topsoil Balance Plan Mep (PCC, 1990), the 1990 Annual <br /> Reclamation Report (Exhibit 90.1), the December 11, 1990 black end white 1"=400' scale <br /> aerial photograph, end on-site f ield checks. The disturbance area requiring soil <br /> replacement es of December 31, 1990 totals 659.4 acres (Table 1). <br />There are 772.2 acres of land that is or will 6e disturbed by mining which will receive <br />replaced topsoil from January 1, 1991 through 1998 (final reclamation year, Seneca fI <br />Mine, Exhibit 13-2, Reclamation Plan). As of December 31, 1990, there was 492.8 acre- <br />feet of stockpiled topsoil and 237.1 ecr a-feet of soil remaining to be salvaged (Table 1). <br />By dividing the number of acre-feet available topsoil (729.9) by the number of acres of <br />projected disturbance (772.2), it is estimated that 0.9 feet of suitable topsoil will be <br />replaced. The average thickness of replaced soil is likely to exceed 0.9 feet as the <br />stockpiled soil swells during redistribution. Previous field studies from Seneca II Mine <br />indicate fine sandy loam, loam, and silty loam textured soil may shrink (compact) from 21 <br />to 28 percent when stockpiled. The soil replacement depth (0.9 feet), determined from the <br />• annual soil balance, is slightly less than previous projected soil replacement depths <br />determined in July 1984 (1.0 feet), August 1986 (1.0 feet), January 1988 (1.1 feet), Aprit <br />1989 (1.1 feet), and April 1990 (1.0 feet). <br />Soil Reolacement Technique. Soil replacement areas for the 1990 field season are shown on <br />Exhibit 90.1, 1990 Annual Reclamation Report. Historical soil replacement areas for the <br />1977 through 1989 field seasons ere included with two previous Topsoil end Spoil <br />Nonitoring Reports for Seneca II Mine (PLC, 1989 end PCC, 1990). <br />Stockpiled soil, hauled from Sites P and 2, was used to reclaim 85.6 acres of final graded <br />spoil during this report period. An additional 30.7 acres were reclaimed using direct <br />haul topsoil. The topsoiled areas are identified on Exhibit 90.1. <br />Summary. The soil replacement thickness for the remaining permit terms was projected to <br />be 1.0 feet (Permit L•80-005, Tab 9, Attachment 9-4). The balance completed above shows <br />that et least 0.9 feet of soil will be available to be replaced. Peabody suspects the ~- <br />mean soil replacement depth for 1990 exceeded 1.0 feet and caused the existing <br />• infinitesimal difference between pre-disturbance projected and post-disturbance actual <br />soil redistribution thickness. This assumption will be verified during the 1991 field <br />3 <br />1990 AP~~ <br />