Laserfiche WebLink
areas". With regard to Phase II bond release,the Sanborn Creek Mine Portals area and the Sanborn <br /> Creek Mine Fan site have an Industrial/Commercial post-mining land use, as such,the revegetation <br /> requirement is waived. <br /> PHASE III <br /> Rule 3.03.1(2)(c) states that the final portion of performance bond, "shall be released when the permittee <br /> has successfully completed all surface coal mining reclamation operations in accordance with this <br /> approved reclamation plan, and the final inspection procedures of 3.03.2 have been satisfied. This shall <br /> not be before the expiration of the period specified for revegetation responsibility in 3.02.3." Rule <br /> 3.03.1(4) states, "No bond shall be fully released until all reclamation requirements of these Rules and <br /> the Act are fully met...". The same rule goes on to state, "No acreage shall be released from the permit <br /> area until all surface coal mining and reclamation operations on that acreage have been completed in <br /> accordance with the approved reclamation plan." <br /> The sites included in the SL-4 application can be divided into two groups. <br /> Group 1 (Bear Creek B-Seam Portal&Fansite(US Steel), Lower Hubbard Creek facilities area, <br /> Hubbard Creek Fan 91 Site) <br /> These sites were disturbed pre-law and have been approved for a post-mining land use of <br /> "Undeveloped Land". Topsoil was not salvaged prior to disturbance with the exception of the <br /> Hubbard Creek Fan 91 Site; here 4,330 cubic yards of topsoil was stockpiled spread over the <br /> reclaimed area following final grading to a depth of approximately I foot. The revegetation <br /> success requirement is one of minimum ground cover of living plants adequate to control <br /> erosion,derived using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. The final bond release vegetation <br /> success criterion is that when total live vegetation cover of the reclaimed areas is equal to or <br /> greater than 90 percent of 19.3%,with 90 percent statistical confidence. <br /> Group 2 (Sanborn Creek Mine Portals area, Sanborn Creek Mine Fan site) <br /> These sites have been approved for a post-mining land use of"Industrial/Commercial", and will <br /> be utilized by the North Fork Energy,LLC methane project. The revegetation standard is <br /> waived. Erosion is minimized and controlled by in-place best management practices. <br /> III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br /> PHASE I <br /> Group 1 (Bear Creek B-Seam Portal&Fansite (US Steel), Lower Hubbard Creek facilities area, <br /> Hubbard Creek Fan 91 Site) <br /> These sites were released from Phase I reclamation liability with SL-2 <br /> Group 2 (Sanborn Creek Mine Portals area, Sanborn Creek Mine Fan site) <br /> C-1981-022,SL-4 Page 6 of 10 <br />