2011-03-18_PERMIT FILE - C1981044A (4)

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offices, have already been removed fror :the site. The No.S portals have been permanently sealed by placing MSHA-approved seals in each of the entries and backfilling up to the seals and the face-up area with non-toxic, non-combustible material to minimize the potential for any contamination of ground water. To achieve final reclamation, the remaining portal area will be backfilled as follows. The remainder of the No.S portal face-up area will be backfilled with the fill material obtained from the railroad track-bed, pad areas around the portal entries, railcar loading/unloading ramps, and any remaining excess material frorr, the No.9 portal excavation. The backfilled highwalls will be sloped at approximately 3H:IV. Blending ~_.~:±~ ad;~c~: ,:.real, as vela as safety issues, may require minor field modifications to this slope specification. Trucks and front-end loaders, graders and dozers will be used in the backfilling and grading operations. Compaction of the backfill material will be obtained during the backfill process by the trucks, dozers, and graders traveling over the backfilled area. Final grading of the area will be accomplished in a manner, which will leave the surface in a roughened condition. Dozers and graders will conduct final grading. The fill material used in the construction of the 210,000-ton coal stockpile pad will be spread evenly over the site or used as backfill material for the No.S portal area to achieve the planned final topography. The entire facility area will be re-topsoiled with approximately 6 inches of topsoil or best available plant growth medium. The redistributed topsoil will be analyzed to determine its fertility and to determine if amendments are required. The replaced topsoil will be analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. As shown on the Reclamation Plan Map (Map 29), the No.~ portal area will be revegetated to two- (2) land uses. These are 1) rangeland/wildlife habitat and 2) pastureland (hayland). Sloped areas, such as the No.S portal faceup, will be returned to rangeland/wildlife habitat and therefore, will be seeded with the rangeland/wildlife seed mixture. The flatter areas will be returned to a pastureland (hayland) land use. Therefore, the topsoil areas will be reseeded with the pastureland (hayland) seed mixture. • It is anticipated that seeding will be accomplished through the use of a rangeland drill. If it is necessary to broadcast seed, the seeding rate will be doubled. A straw mulch applied. at the rate of two tons per acre will be applied over the seeded area, and either crimped in or tackified to the surface. No..SA Portal Areas The No. SA portal was developed off a highwall from an abandoned surface strip mine. The previous surface mining predated present laws and regulations. As such, the surface facilities for this area were developed in a manner inconsistent with currently-accepted mining and reclamation practices: No topsoil was salvaged for future reclamation work at the time this area was affected. To address the topsoil deficiency, BTU EC conducted anoverburden-sampling program to determine if any zone of the overburden would serve as a better plant-growth media than other zones. The overburden-sampling plan was developed in consultation with the CMLRD. The sampling plan was designed to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the overburden and sampling results are presented in Exhibit 27, No. SA Portal Overburden Sampling Results. The results indicated that the top six inches of overburden could be removed and stockpiled for later use as aplant-growth media. The following describes the reclamation plan developed for the No. SA portal area. All surface structures and facilities wil be removed from the site. Current plans are to dismantle the facilities and place the unsalvageable material in the No. SA and No.6 underground workings near the portal entries. 't'his will include but not be limited to removal of the following: ventilation fans, multi-services building, electrical substations, fuel island, compressor building and any materials stockpiled for servicing the mine such as timber or cinderblocks. TR07-34 2:05-26 10/31 /07