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Little Collom X Pit will begin in 2012 and is expected to be complete by 2015. Overburden and <br />interburden from both Collom Lite Pit and Little Collom X Pit will be hauled to a common <br />temporary spoil pile located between the two pits. The temporary spoil pile is anticipated to <br />contain approximately 250 million cubic yards of material. Both Collom Lite and Little Collom <br />X pits will rely on truck/shovel mining techniques. A 15% swell factor for the overburden is <br />expected for both Collom expansion pits. The temporary spoil pile will be used to backfill both <br />Little Collom X and Collom Lite pits to approximate original contour. Proposed mine plan <br />volumetric calculations (Table 2.05.6 -5) illustrates that no permanent out of pit spoil fills will be <br />required to achieve the proposed post- mining topography. <br />Topsoil Removal <br />A scraper operation, supplemented with dozers, loaders, excavators and haul trucks, strips topsoil <br />ahead of overburden removal. Stripped topsoil is hauled directly to graded spoil areas on the <br />trailing edge of the pits, or to topsoil storage piles for later distribution during reclamation. <br />Topsoil from the South Taylor mining area is stored in two topsoil stockpiles (Topsoil 1 and <br />Topsoil 2). <br />Topsoil will be stripped using scrapers prior to facilities construction and pit development in the <br />Little Collom X and Collom Lite Pits. Topsoil will be stockpiled in five topsoil stockpiles: 24A, <br />25A, 25B, 35A, and 36A (Map28C). <br />In accordance with the National Register of Historic Places Section 106 consultation between <br />OSM, SHPO, and DRMS, prior to ground disturbing activity additional permit commitments <br />have been included in Exhibit 5, requiring the operator to conduct additional baseline assessment <br />of all NRHP eligible and sites noted as needing additional data by SHPO. If areas are found to <br />be high potential areas for cultural resources, additional cultural resource monitoring will be <br />conducted by a Colorado - permitted archaeologist during the first three years of topsoil stripping <br />in all high potential areas for cultural resources (Exhibit 5, Item 3). Results of the additional <br />assessments will be submitted to the Division no later than December 31 of the year monitoring <br />occurred. <br />Blasting <br />Blasting fractures overburden and interburden. The rubble overburden from the top three to four <br />seams in the advancing edges of the East and West Pits is removed by truck- and - shovel <br />operations. This material is hauled around the active pit and dumped into the active pits on the <br />trailing side. Cast blasting (with explosives) and back casting with draglines are used for the <br />removal of rubble overburden above the lower seams in both the East and West Pits, and were <br />used in the Section 16 Pit. Initial box -cut material from the East Pit was placed in the Streeter <br />Fill. Initial box -cut material from the West Pit was placed in the West Pit permanent excess spoil <br />fill. Initial box -cut material from the Section 16 Pit was placed in the Section 16 Fill. <br />Colowyo Coal Mine C1981 -019 PR -03 31 April 10, 2013 <br />