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Mine entries and ventilation shafts were sealed with concrete and at least ten feet of <br /> non-combustible material, or simply backfilled with 25 feet of non-combustible material in <br /> accordance with procedures specified in the approved permit. Drill holes and monitoring wells <br /> have been filled with drill hole cuttings or sealant and plugged with cement. <br /> Disturbed areas other than refuse areas have been backfilled to approximate original contour,with <br /> the exception of a designated portion of the South Portal facilities area, for which the Division <br /> (within Permit Revision No. 3) approved a Steep Slope Variance from Approximate Original <br /> Contour, to allow for retention of facilities to support an alternative "Industrial or Commercial" <br /> postmining land use. The reader is referred to Section B.VIII of the Proposed Decision and <br /> Findings of Compliance for PR-3 dated July 30, 2007, for findings specific to the approval of the <br /> Steep Slope Variance from Approximate Original Contour, and to Section B.X of that document, <br /> for findings specific to proposed approval of the alternative "Industrial or Commercial" <br /> postmining land use at the South Portal facilities area. There are no plans for retention of <br /> highwalls. <br /> With PR-4, the Division approved an alternative "Industrial or Commercial"postmining land use <br /> for the Unit Train Loadout area. See Section B.X of the PR-4 Findings document for specific <br /> findings applicable to approval of the alternative postmining land use. <br /> Refuse areas have been compacted and graded to final design contours and covered with the <br /> required thickness of non-toxic, non-combustible material (24" on CRDA-2, 18" on RSRDA, and <br /> CRDA-1). This cover thickness includes topsoil. <br /> Temporary roads have been reclaimed. All roads will be reclaimed with the exception of roads <br /> approved for the postmining land use(listed in Section B.I. of this document). Roads were ripped, <br /> cuts and fills returned to approximate original contour, and the entire surface regraded. <br /> Topsoil was redistributed approximately 6" thick on all reclaimed refuse disposal areas, the North <br /> Portal facilities area, and the Cameo Borrow Area No. 2. Portions of areas which were disturbed <br /> prior to any reclamation requirements and from which no topsoil was salvaged, including the South <br /> Portal area, and the Unit Train Loadout were surfaced with at least 6 inches of the best available <br /> material on site following removal of coaly material. Disturbed areas were drill seeded or <br /> hydroseeded with the seed mixes listed in Table 14-2 of the permit application. <br /> Current Reclamation Status <br /> Prior to cessation of coal extraction in December 1999, final reclamation activity had been limited <br /> to the lower benches of the CRDA-1 and CRDA-2 refuse disposal areas (1994), and certain <br /> ancillary facility areas including the North Decline (1991-1993), South Lease exploration drill <br /> sites and roads (1985/1986), and Northwest Intake Portal (1993). The South Fan facility area and <br /> associated borrow area and access road, and the 2 West Portal disturbed area was reclaimed in <br /> 2000 and 2001. Final reclamation including structural demolition and removal, backfilling and <br /> grading, topsoiling, and revegetation began on a large scale in 2001/2002. Final reclamation has <br /> been completed at a number of additional major facility areas including CRDA-I and CRDA-2 <br /> refuse areas, RSRDA refuse area slopes, the North Portal facility area, Cameo Soil Borrow Areas <br /> 14 <br />