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Structural damage can occur to soils if they are salvaged while saturated. Therefore, <br />topsoil salvage equipment will generally be limited to the drier areas. Wet areas will be <br />dewatered and allowed to dry prior to salvage. Appropriate adjustments will be made to <br />the recovery rate as dictated by actual field conditions and initial topsoil balance reports. <br />Topsoil Storage <br />Topsoil will be stockpiled only if it is impractical to promptly redistribute such material <br />on graded areas. Stockpiled materials will be selectively placed on a stable surface area <br />within the permit area where they will not be disturbed by mining operations and will be <br />protected from wind and water erosion, unnecessary compaction, and contamination <br />which would lessen the capability of the material to support vegetation when <br />redistributed. The protection measures will be accomplished by an effective cover of non - <br />noxious, quick growing annual and perennial plants, seeded or planted during the <br />first appropriate growing season after removal for favorable planting conditions. The <br />stockpiled topsoil will not be removed until required for redistribution on a regraded area <br />unless approved by DRMS. <br />Due to the numerous reclamation advantages and operational cost savings involved, WFC <br />will emphasize as much as operationally possible during the mining and reclamation <br />phases of the NHN Mine, to remove and simultaneous replace all salvaged topsoil in a <br />one step operation, rather than double handling these materials and placing them into a <br />topsoil stockpile. When the direct haul of topsoil is not feasible, the topsoil will be stored <br />in approved stockpiles. Stockpiling of topsoil will be required for topsoil removal in the <br />initial box cut, haul road, spoil stockpile areas, sediment pond, shop area, and final <br />pit /highwall reduction areas, Topsoil stockpiles will be located in areas that will not be <br />disturbed or contaminated by the ongoing mining operation and where the stored topsoil <br />will not be lost to wind erosion or surface runoff. When a topsoil stockpile is placed, it <br />will not be moved until soil is needed for distribution on graded areas, or with DRMS <br />approval, is consolidated into other existing stockpiles. Stockpile locations were also <br />evaluated and selected to minimize truck travel distance, to reduce equipment cost, and to <br />increase efficiency. <br />Section 2.05.4(2)(d) <br />Page 18 <br />January 2012 <br />