Hobet Mining, Inc. is one of the largest surface mining operations in West Virginia and the first to utilize a large walking dragline for overburden removal. The No. 21 mine located 28 miles southwest of Charleston employs the area mining method to remove up to four coal seams. A 27-cubic yard electric shovel and front-end loader remove overburden from the mountaintop down to the 5-Block coal seam, The material is transported by 170-ton rock trucks and placed into durable rock fills. After coal recovery, the remaining overburden is excavated by a 72-cubic yard dragline to expose the Upper and Middle Stockton-Lewiston coal seams. This mine has reclaimed over 1500 acres using this method and has been awarded three state awards for excellence in reclamation. Other- features include successful use of a substitute topsoil, innovative on-bench sediment control techniques, durable rock fills, a wildlife stocking program, and a 3.3 mile overland belt conveyor for raw coal transport.