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1990 Reclamation Activities: <br />No additional acreage was newly disturbed by mining or construction activities during the <br />1990 calendar year. Small acreages on both the east and west ridge waste disposal areas were re- <br />disturbed to accommodate repairs to the West Ridge waste pile. <br />This report will serve as the baseline reference document for all future reclamation reports. <br />The report summarizes available information concerning the current reclamation status and <br />reclamation history of both the Orchard Valley and Orchard Valley West mine sites. <br />Reclamation History <br />An extensive reclamation project was initiated in the fall of 1977 to address the Orchard <br />Valley upper mine area, middle mine area, mine roads, and the new country road alignment near the <br />existing coal stockpile. The reader is referred to the following document for a complete discussion <br />of the details of this program: "Final Report, Reclamation, Colorado Westmoreland, Inc., Orchard <br />Valley Mine, Paonia, Colorado, January 1978, by Thorne Ecological Institute ", and "History of <br />Revegetation, Orchard Valley Mine, 1977 -1982, April, 1983, Prepared for CWI, Orchard Valley <br />Mine, Paonia, Colorado, by Hamer and Associates." <br />Revegetation of cut and fill slopes was accomplished in 1978 on previously seeded but <br />sparsely vegetated and eroded slopes stemming from excessive water runoff caused by the lack of an <br />effective water diversion system. <br />In 1979, a diversion channel and four sedimentation ponds were constructed to divert water <br />away from the main mine facilities. Access roads to the sedimentation ponds and parking lot were <br />also constructed. The Revegetation program of 1979 addressed disturbed areas associated with these <br />facilities and encompassed approximately 12 acres of reclamation. <br />Reclamation activities in 1980 focused on revegetating lands disturbed through minor <br />construction activities conducted in 1979. the areas addressed in 1980 included the Orchard Valley <br />Mine water pipeline, exploration drill pads, and miscellaneous roadways. The majority of the <br />acreage reclaimed in 1980, approximately 3.5 acres, was associated with reclamation of the water <br />line. <br />The 1981 revegetation program encompassed minor disturbances consisting of miscellaneous <br />roadways, Steven's Gulch well field structures, and the scale house and truck scales near the truck <br />dump station. <br />Construction of the West Ridge waste disposal area was initiated in July, 1983. Lands <br />available for reclamation at this site have been seeded and mulched on an approximately annual <br />bases since development began. The West Ridge waste disposal site encompasses approximately <br />3.37 acres. Approximately 2.20 acres of this site are currently reclaimed. Reclamation of the old <br />waste disposal site near ponds 1 and 2 was completed in November of 1983. Vegetation was <br />established on this 0.86 acre site the following spring. Development of the East Ridge waste <br />disposal site was initiated in 1983 in conjunction with development of the West Ridge site. The East <br />Ridge saw topsoil salvaged and an intermediate material stockpile established to accommodate <br />material being generated from the West Ridge development. <br />Reclamation of the Orchard Valley West Mine fill slopes and associated disturbance was <br />completed by the fall of 1987. Slope instability necessitated the relocation of topsoil at the mine site <br />and subsequent reseeding and mulching of both the new pile and the old pile footprint was competed <br />in the fall of 1990. <br />Several small topsoil piles exist throughout the various disturbance areas on the mine. <br />l2 <br />