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DRMS Permit C-1992-080 Page 6 of 7 <br /> <br /> <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br /> <br />The following areas of the Carbon Junction Mine were reclaimed, and are the focus of this Phase III bond <br />release: <br /> Sediment Pond #1 and the collection ditch to the pond <br /> Topsoil Stockpile #8 <br /> The Equipment Area and the ditch west of this area <br /> Sediment Pond #2 <br /> The South Pit Drill Pad <br /> The Previously Reclaimed Spoils Area <br /> The North Pit <br /> Topsoil Stockpile #2. <br /> <br />All of the reclaimed area within the Carbon Junction Mine (which is the subject area of this Phase III bond <br />release) has previously been Phase I (as well as Phase II) released and meets backfilling and grading <br />requirements. The Division approved a variance related to operations on steep slopes because the operator <br />provided a thorough analytical demonstration that the variance will result in reclaimed areas that are <br />environmentally sound and structurally stable. Reconstruction of the Carbon Junction Canyon has been <br />satisfactorily performed. <br /> <br />The Division has determined in reviews of Annual Hydrology Reports that impacts to the hydrologic <br />balance of the permit and adjacent area have been mitigated. In particular, the Division has found that: <br /> The operation minimized disturbance to the hydrologic balance in the permit and adjacent areas. <br /> Material damage to the hydrologic balance outside the permit area has been prevented. <br /> Water rights of other users have been protected. The Division of Water Resources has <br />corroborated this statement in a letter from Mr. Caleb Foy (November 28, 2014). <br /> <br />Groundwater (wells) and surface water (springs) monitoring at the Carbon Junction Mine were terminated <br />in 2006 with Division approval. The CDPS permit, which entailed monitoring discharges from two <br />sediment ponds (the ponds were reclaimed in 2008), was terminated in August 2011. <br /> <br />Reclamation of the Carbon Junction Mine has been consistent with the post-mining land use of dryland <br />pasture. To assess the success of reclamation at the mine site, quantitative vegetation sampling data was <br />collected by OEI representatives on the reclaimed mine and ancillary areas and on the reference area in <br />June 2015 and June 2016. OEI reported that random sample distribution was used for location of the cover <br />transects. The reference area cover transects are reported to have been oriented parallel to one another (all <br />the same compass direction) to avoid overlap in this small area. Cover transects in the reclaimed areas <br />were randomly oriented. Production quadrats were randomly oriented at the start points of each cover <br />transect. This methodology is acceptable to the Division. <br /> <br />The Division finds that a permanent self-sustaining vegetation community has been established at the <br />Carbon Junction Mine. Evidence of this is supported by the quantitative vegetation sampling data. The <br />vegetation sampling data in the SL-05 application included details regarding vegetative cover and <br />herbaceous productivity. Species composition was determined from the vegetative cover data. The