ENFORCE31130 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

3. Policy/Procedures. a. Background. In modifying the phrases "original contour" and "surface configuration" in the defini- tion of AOC with the terms "approximate" and "general", respectively, Congress rec- ognized and acknowledged that there would likely be differences between the premining and post-mining topography. Furthermore, the reclamation of any mine site must take into consideration and accommodate site- specific and unique characteristics of the surrounding terrain and post-mining land uses. Consequently, AOC determinations must necessarily retain a certain amount of subjectivity and often rely principally on the judgment of the regulatory authority, which has been given the primary responsi- bility for such decisions under the Act. c. Procedures. (2) Inspection criteria. AOC is achieved through a reasonable but not necessarily exact, rendering of the ap- proved post-mining topography. Inspectors shall determine whether AOC requirements have been met by applying the following three elements contained in the definition of AOC. (a) General surface configuration. The reclaimed area should closely resemble the general surface configuration of the land prior to mining. This should not be inter- preted, however, as requiring that post- mining contours exactly match the premining contours or that long uninterrupted premin- ing slopes must result in the same. Ra- ther, the general terrain should be c~mpa- rable to the premined terrain; that is, if the area was basically level or gently rol- ling before mining, it should retain these general features after mining. Rolls and dips need not be restored in their original locations and level areas may be increased ... through formation of shorter, steeper slopes, provided that those slopes are ca- pable of supporting the post-mining land use and blend with the surrounding terrain. -10-