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• Scrapers or similarly effective equipment are used for salvaging topsoil and transporting it directly to <br />regraded spoils or to stockpiles. In most areas, the A and upper B horizons are salvaged. However, in <br />some instances, poor quality, clayey soils have developed on soft shales and little or no A horizon or <br />suitable B horizon may be present. In such instances, the Division will be notified for approval prior to <br />leaving such areas. Map M56 will identify such areas as need arises. Also, Trapper will verify to the <br />Division that other sufficiently suitable material is available for replacement (Appendix G, Part VI). <br />Section 2.6.1.2 describes each soil unit and the average desirable stripping depths. <br />In some instances, terrain or rocky ground conditions may restrict topsoil salvage. Rocky knolls or ridges <br />have very little topsoil, are damaging to equipment and are often unsafe to operate scrapers on. Where <br />such areas occur, attempts will not be made to salvage topsoil (see Map M56 "Areas Excluded from <br />Topsoil Stripping"). <br />If practicable, topsoil is not stripped in a wet or saturated condition. The soils generally have weak <br />structural aggregate stability and are more subject to soil compaction when wet. A hard, compact surface <br />layer could result, which could affect seed germination, seedling root establishment, and air and moisture <br />penetration. To reduce the potential of handling topsoil while it is wet and to ensure efficient salvage and <br />replacement, topsoil handling is limited to about six months (generally May-October) out of each year. <br />However, situations may arise where soils are unavoidably moist when handled. If topsoil must be <br />moved to avoid loss or contamination, then it must be done even if in a wet state. If identified as a <br />• problem, compaction will be dealt with by discing or otherwise loosening all such areas prior to seeding. <br />Topsoil salvage depths have been estimated based on the results of an Order 1 survey conducted for <br />Trapper Mine in 1980 and actual depth sampling in pre-strip areas. While an Order 1 survey is <br />intensively done, it still relies on data obtained from a few representative units to describe all other <br />0 4250 <br />PK- q <br />Mf,(1 1998