Laserfiche WebLink
• evaluate soil suitability. Soil salvage oteurred in advance of the lower mine block, <br />south pit end both ends of the north pit, along the east and west sides of the middle <br />mine block, and in advance of the upper mine block, south and north pits during the 1993 <br />field season (Exhibit 93.1). Observations within the mixed brush sandstone-derived soils <br />indicated very suitable loamy soil was salvaged down to the fractured sandstone or clay <br />subsoil. The thickness of recovered soil ranged from 0.5 feet on ridgetops to about 6.0 <br />feet in shale or drainage landscapes. Observations within the grassland shale-derived <br />soils in the upper mine block and west end of the north pit, lower mine block indicated <br />O.5 feet of suitable soil had been salvaged. <br />Peabody will continue to closely monitor soil handling operations during the 1994 field <br />season. Only suitable sourees of soil within the disturbance area will be salvaged [o <br />ensure the reelaimed areas are restored to the desired postmine land uses. Peabody will <br />obtain variances pursuant to Rule 4.06.2(2) end Permit C-82.057 whenever suitable soil <br />Cannot be salvaged exclusively from any map unit because of equipment limitations or <br />operator safety concerns. <br />• Soil Redistribution Thickness. Peabody is required by Permit C-82-057 and Section <br />4.06.4(2)(b) of Colorado's Regulations for Coal Mining [o document and record the soil <br />redistribution thickness for each reclamation block using a minimum sampling intensity of <br />one hole per five acres. The soil replacement thickness information is used to adjust <br />soil salvage depths, if necessary, and for bond release purposes. Soil replacement <br />thicknesses were measured October 15 for reclaimed areas which had soil replaced during <br />1993 (18.5 acres). Sample sites were selected by using the 1993 1'~=400' scale aerial <br />photo, Exhibit 93.4 presented with this reclamation report. <br />A 2-3/4-inch bucket auger was used at each site to excavate a pilot hole through the <br />entire soil strata. An abrupt boundary, defined by Color end rock fragment content, <br />occurred et the soil/spoil interface. An abrupt boundary, defined by color and texture, <br />occurred at the topsoil/subsoil interface. The replaced soil thickness was measured <br />through the pilot hole immediately after entounteri ng the spoil. <br />Data was collected from four sites during the 1993 field season. Sample sites are shown <br />on Exhibit 93.2, 1993 Soil Balance Nap. Soil thickness for the 1993 reclamation <br />. blocks ranged from 1.8 to 2.2 feet es listed at the end of this section. The sites <br />typically have 1.2 feet of fine clay loam/clay subsoil from stockpile (Pt) overlain by <br />2 <br />