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through the Prime Farmland Soil Lift A horizon. The only concern one would ever have is the <br />operational possibility of pulling up chunks of frozen Lift A and B topsoil together with <br />equipment because of the frost. One wouldn't want to dilute topsoil Lift A with big chunks of <br />topsoil Lift B. For a single lift topsoil removal or a mixed topsoil stripping situation, then that <br />concern goes away. It should be noted that New Horizon stacks Lift A, Lift B and Mixed topsoil <br />into separate but large piles with a dozer. The larger the topsoil pile, the more dirt insulation <br />there is protecting the interface to Lift B directly under the pile. The conclusion is, that stripping <br />(dozing, load, haul, dump, and regrading) topsoil in freezing conditions is perfectly acceptable <br />at the New Horizon Mine. By the rare chance there is a micro occurrence of an extremely sub <br />freezing period of time, for many weeks, the actual rip, doze and stacking of any Lift A will be <br />curtailed but stacking of Lift B or Mixed topsoil could continue. Finally, there would be a high <br />probability the dozer(s) wouldn't be able to start or operate under those extreme freezing <br />conditions anyway. <br />8.11 Stripping Saturated Topsoil <br />The scanned Table 2.05.4(2)(d) -1A from the Natural Resources Conservation Service -Soil <br />Survey of San Miguel Area, Colorado, pg 197 shows the average monthly precipitation from <br />1961 -1990 for Uravan ,Colorado area, which is near Nucla. The monthly average ranges from <br />0.62 " - 1.53" per month. The yearly average is only 12.60" of precipitation per year. WFC just <br />doesn't see a problem with the ground getting saturated beyond a couple inches by rainfall, at <br />any one time. The average snowfall per month as seen in Table 2.05.4(2)(d) -1A is also <br />insignificant for the Nucla area. As mentioned above, Lift A, Lift B and Mixed topsoil will be <br />piled up using a dozer. So after the dozer gets past the first couple of inches, if that, of rain <br />soaked topsoil, he will be in the dry. No significant problem as far as precipitation soaked soils. <br />The likely hood of a dozer working during a severe thunderstorm stacking topsoil is remote. <br />Operationally, that dozer would be pulled out of that work duty to assist the other mining <br />operations such as clearing roads so coal haulage out of the pit could continue. As far as <br />loading, hauling and spreading the topsoil after it has been stacked by the dozer is nothing to <br />be concerned about either. The outer 2 -3" of the pile may be damp but not the interior. Again, <br />no worries or chances of any significant mixing of Lift A with Lift B because after Lift A is <br />(Revised October 2009) 2.05.4(2)(d) -32 <br />