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Exhibit 9 of Volume 13. Order III (generalized) soil mapping for the permit area is presented in <br />map 5A of Volume 14; more detailed Order II soil mapping for the South Taylor and Lower <br />Wilson areas is presented on Maps 5B and 5C, respectively. Baseline information presented in <br />the application for the South Taylor expansion area is drawn largely from a 1984 report titled <br />"Soil Inventory - Danforth Hills Project, Rio Blanco and Moffat Counties," prepared for <br />Consolidation Coal Company by certified professional soil scientist James P. Walsh. The Walsh <br />report is included as Exhibit 9, Item 7, of Volume 13. <br />The three major soil types at the Mine's East Pit and West Pit areas are the Work Loam, the <br />Burnette Loam and the Campspass Fine Sandy Loam. The Work and Burnette units are <br />generally deep, loamy textured soils with moderate permeability and high available water <br />capacity. The physical and chemical properties of these two soils are well suited for reclamation <br />use. The Campspass soil, however, is characterized by a shallow sandy loam A horizon less than <br />six inches in depth. The B horizon is a heavy clay loam with hard columnar structure, which <br />Colowyo does not propose to salvage due to the sticky, plastic properties which make it less <br />desirable for reclamation. If spread directly on regraded spoils, the clayey soil could hamper <br />vegetation establishment due to the slow permeability and resultant droughtiness. In addition, <br />surface runoff from such soils would be rapid and erosion hazard would be high from both wind <br />and water. <br />The most prevalent soils in the South Taylor area include Burnette, Work, Lamphier, Rhone, and <br />Northwater Loams. These are borolls, which developed from residuum or colluvium on gently <br />sloping to rolling ridgetops, moderately steep sideslopes, and in gently sloping, concave narrow <br />stream valleys. Shallow, rocky soils of the order entisol occur to a limited extent within the area <br />to be disturbed on steep, south - facing slopes. The very thick Silas loam soil developed from <br />alluvium within narrow bands along the larger ephemeral drainages. <br />The predominant hill -slope soils have relatively thick, loamy textured mollic epipedons, well <br />suited for reclamation use. Salvageable thickness of these soils averages from 12 inches to 30 <br />inches. Subsoils in these units are somewhat marginal, due to heavier texture or excessive <br />cobbles. The Silas loam soil along the drainage valley bottoms is generally suitable for salvage <br />to depths of five feet or more. <br />B. Topsoil Salvage Operations <br />Information on topsoil salvage methods is found in Sections 2.04.9, 2.05.2 and 4.06 of Volume 1 <br />of the PAP. Additional information can be found in Exhibit 9 and Maps 5 and 6. Information <br />specifically pertinent to proposed South Taylor expansion topsoil salvage operations is presented <br />in Section 2.04.9 text and tables of Volume 12, as well as Sections 2.05.3(5) and 2.05.4(2)(d) of <br />Volume 12, Exhibit 9 of Volume 13, and Maps 5A, 513, and 5B of Volume 14. <br />In general, the topsoil handling plan calls for removal of all of the A and some or all of the B <br />Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance January 2012 <br />Permit Renewal 06 Page 140 <br />