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• Temporary Sealing of Underground Openings <br />Any mine entry which is temporarily inactive, but has a future useful <br />life, will be protected by barricades or other covering devices, fenced, <br />and posted with signs to prevent access into the entry and to identify <br />the hazardous nature of the opening. These devices will be periodically <br />inspected and maintained in good operating condition. <br />Permanent Sealing of Underground Openings <br />When no longer needed for mining operations, all entries or other <br />openings to the surface from the underground mine will be sealed and <br />backfilled. Permanent closure measures will be constructed to prevent <br />access to the mine workings by people, livestock, fish and wildlife, and <br />machinery. <br />Because of the geologic nature of the coal seams, the entry's slope <br />• toward the portal area; however, there has never been any gravity <br />discharge of water from the previous underground operations. Sunbelt <br />does not anticipate any discharge from the permanently abandoned mine <br />portals. <br />The abandonment procedures for the portal areas are as follows: <br />1. A seal will be placed on the portal entries to a point <br />where the overburden is at least 3 times the height of the <br />coal seam. This seal will be of reinforced concrete of at <br />least 12 inches thick and keyed 12 inches into the coal or <br />to the rock contact. Concrete will be reinforced with a <br />mat of 1/2 inch rebar 12 inches in each direction, each <br />face. Grouting will be used if necessary to provide a more <br />uniform seal around the coal or rock contact. <br /> 2. Earth fill will extend into each portal opening a distance <br />. of at least 12 feet. <br />2.05-23 <br />