Environmental Program Once exploration activities have discovered the mineral deposit from which a new mining operation will emerge, Utah concerns itself with the effect of the operation on the natural and human resources in the region of influence. An evaluation of proposed mining activities and their sites is made so that their development will incorporate acceptable environmental standards. In the course of surface mining activity, land is unavoidably disturbed and at Utah operations, major emphasis is placed on reshaping the land and re-establishing vegetation. To this end, grading and seeding is conducted and research has been undertaken to determine optimum methods and plant species for vegetation of mined lands. An example of Utah's environmental program is the reclamation activity at the Navajo mine. In the late 1960's Utah undertook a test program to level or grade "spoil" piles, and it was determined that an undulating topography would have greater resistance to water and wind erosion than a flat surface. Later, while grading the "spoil" pile ridges, Utah simultaneously began a program of burying ash from the two largest generating units at the power plant. Ash is back hauled to the mined area each day, where it is subsequently covered by the material forming the "spoil" piles. More recently Utah undertook another phase of a program aimed at studying environmental conditions to determine the suitability of various reclamation methods. As an initial step, soil materials were analyzed for available plant nutrients. Test plots were then set up in four areas at the Navajo mine and seeds of varying germination times were planted. In all, over 30 species of plants, including those native to the area and others which show promise for cultivation, have been seeded or transplanted. Results of these tests will be evaluated regularly. Cooperative efforts for reclamation research have been undertaken with representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. It is presently the goal of Utah to assure that when the mining phase is ended and the final grading in the leasehold has been completed that the "spoil" pile ridges will be gone, and the topography of the mined area will blend with that of the surrounding undisturbed areas which remain in their natural condition. The result will be a satisfactory reconstruction of the land surface with vegetation re-established. Results of experiments in revegetation, including the use of irrigation techniques in test areas at the Navajo mine, will aid in the determination of future seeding efforts to restore mined land to an acceptable level of plant productivity. 26