2010-08-12_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (3)

Home Browse Search

It is anticipated that on slopes of < 10% it will be safe to strategically place rows of topsoil in a designated pattern with haul trucks to ensure the desired four to six inches of topsoil can be dozed into position. If a dozer operator doesn't do this properly, he won't have enough material to cover the entire area and it will be obvious what has occurred. Depth control on the Sagebrush Steppe areas will be verified as the project progresses and any deviations from the plan will be rectified at that time. Depth readings will also be taken after the area has been completely topsoiled, sufficient to ensure that Colowyo can demonstrate compliance with the plan. Even if scrapers are used to initially lay topsoil down, it is anticipated that some dozer work will be needed to do the finish work. The required volume of material will be at/on the location. Verification work will lead to additional dozer /scraper work if necessary to ensure proper final placement. If depth control becomes an issue, staking will be initiated as an additional guide for operators. On areas of > 10% slope it is anticipated that dozers will work together with scrapers to accomplish a gradually thicker application of topsoil on these slopes. As Colowyo has always done, depth stakes at regular intervals will provide guidance to the operators. Depth readings will be taken while the operations are progressing and any issues will be rectified at that time. Depth readings will also be taken after the area has been completely topsoiled, sufficient to ensure that Colowyo can demonstrate compliance with the plan. The allocated volume of topsoil for each area (total volume based on area multiplied by either 8 or 19.5 inches) will be hauled to the location, most likely with haul trucks and scrapers as close as safely possible to the final intended location, then dozed into place or placed via scrapers. Verification work will lead to additional dozer /scraper work if necessary to ensure proper final placement. Beginning with 2010 reclamation activities, Colowyo will institute a topsoil depth verification program to document ecologically significant variations in topsoil where applicable (i.e. grazingland areas) and confirm more uniform topsoil reapplieations (i.e. sagebrush steppe areas). It will consist of recording topsoil depths on five acre centers overlaid on each reclamation unit, similar to re- graded overburden suitability monitoring. Specific depth sampling point locations and results will be recorded and reported in the subsequent years Annual Reclamation Report within the Topsoil Volume Inventory section. The topsoil depth verification program is not intended nor should it be used as a topsoil volume verification method as the volume of topsoil will be planned, monitored and verified through load count, time card coding and engineering plan designation of placement of the material on a reclamation unit basis. Overall topsoil balance oversight is performed and reported annually in the Annual Reclamation Report. The overall goal of both the Division and Colowyo is to replace the entire resource in a manner that promotes the likelihood reclaimed areas will meet the success criteria for Phase III Bond Release after the required liability periods and thereby create reclaimed lands that reflect the desired post -mine land use (grazingland and sagebrush steppe). Reapplied topsoil will be left in a rough condition to help control wind and water erosion prior to seeding. In the case of scraper - applied topsoil, dozers usually cross -rip along slope contours at intervals of about 50 -75 feet to provide additional surface roughness. Also, contour furrows are almost always put in place when scrapers are utilized to minimize any 2.05 -29 Revision Date: 9/28/09 Revision No.: TR -82 2