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floor known as the Animas River Alluvial Valley Floor located outside the permit area <br />along the Animas River as it flows south from Durango, Colorado. <br />The Division found that activities proposed by the applicant will not interrupt, <br />discontinue, or preclude farming on the alluvial valley floors that are irrigated or <br />naturally subirrigated (4.24.3(1)). <br />The proposed activities will not materially damage the quantity or quality of water in <br />the surface or ground water system described above (4.24.3(3) and 2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)). <br />The proposed activities will comply with the requirements of the Act and the <br />Regulations with respect to alluvial valley floors (2.06.8(5)(a)(iii)). <br />Surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be conducted to preserve the <br />essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors outside the permit area <br />throughout the mining and reclamation process (4.24.2). <br />XVIII. Operations on Prime Farmland — Rule 4.25 <br />No prime farmlands were present within the permit area. <br />XIX. Mountaintop Removal — Rule 4.26 <br />This method was not employed at the Carbon Junction Mine. <br />XX. Operations on Steep Slopes — Rule 4.27 <br />A. The Division approved a variance from meeting approximate original contour for <br />reclaimed areas. This variance was proposed following a demonstration that the <br />requirements of Rule 2.06.4 and 2.06.5 had been met (4.27.3). In addition the <br />Division believes that the applicant has demonstrated that the requirements of <br />Rule 4.27.4 will be met. <br />B. The applicant has proposed alternative specifications and practices for operations <br />on steep slopes and reclamation of these operations. This proposal has been <br />accompanied by a thorough analytical demonstration that use of the alternates <br />will result in reclaimed areas as environmentally sound and structurally stable as <br />would result using the standards set in 4.27 (4.27.3(8)). <br />XXI. In Situ Processing — Rule 4.29 <br />No in situ processing was proposed or approved for the Carbon Junction Mine. <br />22 <br />