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RULE 2 PERMITS <br />Rule 2 Permits 2.05-26 Revision Date: 9/2/25 <br />Revision No.: PR-05 <br />of Health under the National Pollutant and Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Compliance <br />with this permit will serve to effect compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Colorado Water <br />Quality Control Act. A copy of this submittal is presented in Exhibit 7, Hydrology Information. <br />Colowyo, likewise, operates under several emission permits from the Colorado Department of <br />Health, Air Pollution Control Division. Fugitive dust control measures will be employed as an <br />integral part of the mining and reclamation operations. <br />Colowyo conducts air quality monitoring at the site in accordance with the requirements of <br />emission permits approved by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division. A copy of all <br />applicable emission permits has been included in Exhibit 8 of the application. <br />Details of pollution control measures are discussed in section 2.05.6. <br />2.05.5 Post-mining Land Uses <br />The implementation of the reclamation plan as described in Section 2.05.4 will restore most of the <br />disturbed land to the pre-mining use of rangeland, with two targeted subcomponents of grazingland <br />and wildlife habitat (sagebrush steppe), and one area will have the post-mine land use of Industrial <br />as described in Rule 1.04(71)(f). Please see Maps 17 and 44 for the approximate locations of the <br />post mine land uses that will be implemented at Colowyo. Please refer to Section 2.05.3 – Ponds, <br />Impoundments, Diversions, and Treatment Facilities for detailed information pertaining to the <br />Industrial area. <br />Replacement of grazingland will be facilitated by targeting revegetation efforts toward primarily <br />grassland communities. Because grasslands are effective for erosion control, this post mine land <br />use will be implemented on those lands with slopes greater than 10%. Replacement of wildlife <br />habitat will be facilitated by targeting revegetation efforts toward the re-establishment of a <br />sagebrush steppe community. Because early-seral sagebrush steppe is less able to preclude <br />erosion, it will be limited to those lands with slopes less than 10%. <br />The post mining land use of rangeland for the reclaimed area has been designed to match the pre- <br />mining land uses found in the area. Specifically, Colowyo will reclaim the mined areas to a <br />rangeland condition capable of supporting both domestic livestock and wildlife. One of the <br />objectives of the reclamation plan will be to provide grazing for livestock, and the other objective <br />will be to restore and improve habitats for deer, elk, and sage grouse. <br />Comments from the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Colorado approving the post <br />mining land use are provided in Exhibit 1, Documents and Leases. <br />The observation of hundreds of deer and elk consistently utilizing reclaimed areas at Colowyo <br />confirm success in meeting these goals. It is generally recognized that the herbaceous communities <br />of grasses and forbs found on older reclaimed mining areas and other similar areas in northwest <br />Colorado have in fact attracted these important wildlife species from surrounding native <br />rangelands. Therefore, even though the grassland targeted areas are designed for livestock grazing, <br />they exhibit a considerable component of wildlife habitat benefits as well.