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requirement that there be no more than 4 spoil ridges behind the pit currently being <br />work was approved fora 25.5 acre area of the north block and a 41.8 acre area of the <br />south block, within the original permit area. Rough backfilling and grading had been <br />completed throughout the original permit area as of October 2004, with the exception of <br />a 300 foot segment of the Wadge "ridgeline pit" along the eastern ridgeline, at the <br />extreme southern end of the original permit area. Most of this pit is within the south <br />extension area, and it was subject to a separate variance approval and backfilling <br />deadline, addressed below. <br />In Permit Renewal No. 3, SCC requested a variance from backfilling and grading in the <br />D pit for the development of an underground mine. Rule 2.06.7 specifies the <br />requirements that must be fulfilled for Variances in Contemporaneous Reclamation in <br />Combined Surface and Underground Mining Operations. To permit a delay in <br />contemporaneous reclamation, Rule 2.06.7(4) requires the DMG to make a finding that <br />a complete application has been filed in accordance with Rule 2.06.7. SCC has not filed <br />a complete application under these criteria to date. Therefore, the following stipulation <br />was attached to the permit renewal. <br />Stipulation No. 28 <br />Backfilling and grading of the D pit shall commence by November 15, 2001, <br />unless SCC files a complete application in accordance with the requirements of <br />Rule 2.06.7, Variances for Delay in Contemporaneous Reclamation Requirements <br />in Combined Surface and Underground Mining Operations. <br />Backfilling and grading of the D Pit did commence by the above deadline, and regrading <br />was largely completed by the fall of 2002. As such, Stipulation 28 has been satisfied <br />and is no longer in effect. <br />Within PR-3, SCC amended and clarified requests for a variance in contemporaneous <br />reclamation under 4.14.1(1)(c), applicable to specified areas of the A Pit within the <br />original permit area, and portions of the Wadge South Pits and Wolf Creek/Sage Creek <br />Pits within the South Extension Area. As previously noted, rough backfilling and <br />grading had been completed as of October 2004 throughout the original permit area, <br />with the exception of a 300 foot segment of the Wadge "ridgeline pit" at the extreme <br />south end of the original permit area. In accordance with variance approvals granted <br />under PR-3 and subsequent TR-46, the backfilling deadline for the "ridgeline pit" was <br />set at December 31, 2004. <br />In the PR-4 application, the applicant proposed extensive modification of backfilling and <br />grading schedules. The modified schedule included an amended request for a variance <br />- from the 180 day backfilling and grading requirement of 4.14.1(1)(c). The variance <br />request applied to the 1600' Wadge "ridgeline pit" within the extreme southern portion <br />of the original permit area and northern portion of the south extension area. In addition, <br />Seneca II-W Findings Document 53 June l2, 2006 <br />Permit Renewal No. 5 <br />