2015-01-15_PERMIT FILE - C2009087

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RULE 2 - PERMITS 2.05.421(e)(vi) Determining Revegetation Success Revegetation success will be determined based on the results of revegetation monitoring in accordance with the applicable Sections of 4.15.7, Determining Revegetation Success — General Requirements and Standards, 4.15.8, Revegetation Success Criteria, 4.15.9, Revegetation Success Criteria: Cropland, 4.15.10, Revegetation Success Criteria: Previously Mined Lands; Areas to be Developed for Industrial or Residential Use, and 4.15.11, Revegetation Sampling Methods and Statistical Demonstrations for Revegetation Success. PSCM reclaimed area monitoring to evaluate seeded stand performance and support revegetation success discussions will occur in the third or fourth year following permanent seeding (sample adequacy not required). Monitoring for revegetation success will be conducted under the Phase II and Phase III required timeframes and will be at sampling levels necessary to provide statistically adequate sample sizes (traditional null hypothesis testing). When reverse null hypothesis testing is used, minimum sample size requirements as specified in rule 4.15.11(2)(c) will be met. The analysis will comply with Section 4.15.11 and success will be evaluated on the parameters of cover, production, diversity, and woody plant density by comparing statistically adequate quantitative data from the reclaimed area to the sagebrush grassland reference area or approved technical standards. The more recently reclaimed Solid Waste Disposal area will be evaluated according to the methods, parameters and standards as described in the following sections with the exception that the woody density standard in the relatively small Solid Waste Disposal area will be at only the background density level as specified later in this section. At the time of revegetation success evaluations and periodically during monitoring, quantitative vegetation data will be collected from the current sagebrush grassland reference area previously established for the Seneca II mine and to be used for PSCM revegetation success evaluations. This reference area was established to represent the native sagebrush grassland communities in and around the Seneca II Mine. The size of the reference area was recently approved for a reconfiguration in area but at the same location and with approximately 4 acres available. The sagebrush grassland reference area is representative of the majority of native land new disturbance and most closely represents the established reclaimed lands to be disturbed incidental to PSCM underground mining operations. Over 65 percent of this area will encompass previously reclaimed lands, while approximately 16 percent of the new disturbance will affect sagebrush grassland and a small portion of mesic drainage. Mountain brush disturbance is less than two percent. The remaining 17 percent is comprised of roads, facilities and water. The established Seneca II Mine mountain brush reference is not applicable to PSCM success evaluations, including the solid waste disposal area, but will continue for use in revegetation success evaluations for the remaining Seneca II Mine lands transferred to PSCM and as described in Exhibit 2.05.4-El. The already approved reclamation success standards remain in effect for previously reclaimed Seneca II Mine lands transferred to the PSCM permit area but will not be redisturbed incidental to PSCM underground mining operations These standards and supporting discussion are presented in Exhibit 2.05.4 -E1 of this PAP. These reclaimed lands, based on regulatory program period or age of reclamation, have been designated Bond Release Blocks 1 -5 (BRB 1 -5). Significant acreages of these reclaimed lands have undergone partial or full bond release. Portions of BRB 3 and all or part of BRB 4 and BRB 5 require either Phase II, Phase III, or both Phase II and Phase III bond release. The vegetation evaluations and standards for testing reclamation adequacy on these former Seneca II permit area lands, including weight averaging sagebrush grassland and mountain brush reference data for cover and production, and approving Phase II and Phase III bond release for Seneca II reclaimed lands now within the PSCM permit boundary, remain as originally approved for the Seneca II Mine. In particular, the woody density standard for those Seneca II reclaimed lands incorporated into the PSCM permit area TR09 -2014 2.05 -47 Revision 11/25/2014