Laserfiche WebLink
RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS <br /> <br />Rule 4 Performance Standards 4-53 Revision Date: 8/12/24 <br /> Revision No.: MR-257 <br />4.21.4 Performance Standards <br /> <br />No habitats of unique value for fish, wildlife, and other related environmental values and areas <br />were identified in Section 2.05.6(2)(b), which could be affected by coal exploration work. <br /> <br />During any coal exploration, Colowyo will obtain any supportive information that might be <br />necessary for proper mining, reclamation and environmental control. <br /> <br />All vehicular traffic will be limited to established, graded roads at all times, except in cases where <br />limited off road travel will be less damaging to vegetation and the ground surface than the <br />construction of a new road. Travel will be confined to graded surface roads during periods when <br />excessive damage to vegetation or rutting of the land surface could occur. <br /> <br />Any new road to be built for the exploration project will be utilized for less than six months and <br />thus will be constructed as a light use road according to the provisions of Section 4.03.3. <br /> <br />Any existing roads in the area will be altered for exploration purposes only so far as they may be <br />widened or smoothed to accommodate exploration equipment and in accordance with all <br />applicable Federal, State and local requirements. Water bars and ditches will be added where <br />appropriate. All existing roads to be used during the exploration program will be left in the <br />condition that is superior to their pre-exploration condition. <br /> <br />Any drill sites that are no longer needed for exploration or environmental monitoring (such as <br />piezometer wells) will be returned to their approximate original contour promptly after all coal <br />exploration activities are completed. <br /> <br />Topsoil will be removed prior to construction of any drill site when necessary. After the site is <br />recontoured, topsoil will be redistributed over the surface in a manner that will provide for <br />successful reclamation. If any exploration drilling is to be conducted in an area directly ahead of <br />the mining operations where topsoil has been removed, the site will be mined through and <br />reclaimed in accordance with Section 2.05.4. <br /> <br />Revegetation of drill sites and roads will be performed by drill or by broadcast seeding with a <br />variety of native and introduced species during the late fall or early spring to produce a satisfactory <br />vegetative cover capable of stabilizing the soil surface. The affected areas will be seeded according <br />to the mixture described in Section 2.02. <br /> <br />In no case will any ephemeral, intermittent or perennial stream be diverted during the exploration <br />activities. Overland flow will be diverted, if necessary, so that erosion is controlled by ditches, <br />water bars, sedimentation ponds or other methods capable of controlling erosion and minimizing <br />additional contributions of suspended solids in the stream flow outside the exploration area. Such <br />diversions will be done in a manner that complies with all other applicable Federal and State <br />requirements. <br /> <br />Upon completion of the hole, cuttings from the drill hole will be placed in the drill hole and the <br />site reclaimed. Some holes maybe left open and completed with piezometers, if they are needed