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• Topsoil Handling <br />With the exception of areas disturbed by previous mining activities in the <br />1930's through 1950's, topsoil materials have been recovered prior to <br />mining related disturbance for all existing disturbed areas. A discussion <br />of topsoil removal practices was previously presented in this section <br />under the subtitle, "Operations Description-Mine Area". <br />Within the mine area, primary disturbance areas as shown on the Mine <br />Surface Facilities Map, (Map 18), include the mine facilities area, Ponds <br />Nos. 3 and 4 areas, and coal refuse stockpile area. <br />Topsoil was recovered from the mine facilities area prior to facility <br />installation and portal development in 1978. The facilities area, which <br />encompasses a disturbed area of approximately 20 acres, includes the <br />portal bench, face up area, shop/office/warehouse, parking areas, coal <br />• stockpile areas, preparation plant, truck scale, Sedimentation Ponds Nos. <br />1 and 5, and Water Treatment and Recycle Pond No. 2. Dorchester attempted <br />to recover all available topsoil, but previous mining disturbance resulted <br />in loss or contamination of a significant portion of the available <br />topsoil. Consequently, topsoil recovery in the facilities area consisted <br />of approximately 10,000 cubic yards of topsoil recovered and stockpiled <br />in Stockpile M-1. This results in less than four (4) inches of topsoil <br />available for replacement in the facilities area. <br />In the Ponds No. 3 and 4 areas, topsoil was recovered prior to pond <br />construction. Similar to the mine facilities area, previous mining <br />disturbance resulted in some loss or contamination of topsoil resources. <br />Due to this limitation, topsoil recovery depth in these areas averaged <br />only six (6) inches. Approximately 5,800 cubic yards of topsoil were <br />recovered from the pond areas and placed in Stockpile M-3. <br />During initial construction of the coal refuse stockpile Dorchester <br />. recovered available topsoil in the stockpile foundation area to a depth <br />of approximately three (3) feet. Recovery depths averaged approximately <br />2.05.3-56 <br />