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II. SUMMARY OF THE BOND RELEASE PROCESS <br />Reclamation History of Bond Release Area <br />Mining operations <br />The Chimney Rock Mine was a surface coal mine that operated between 1976 and 1985. Coal was <br />mined from two open pits, the East Pit (east of Stollsteimer Creek) and the Barren Ridge/Revision 1 <br />area (west of Stollsteimer Creek). In addition to the two pits, other surface disturbances were roads <br />in the valley next to Stollsteimer Creek, anoffice/facilities azea, four sediment control ponds, and an <br />explosives storage magazine. Prior to Kaiser's opertions, coal had been mined in the permit azea <br />since the 1930s in small-scale underground operations. Kaiser commenced mining operations at the <br />mine in 1976 under a Limited Impact Permit issued by the Division. In 1981, the Division issued <br />mining and reclamation permit C-81-023 to Kaiser. Ownership of the land and minerals in the bond <br />release area is both private and federal. The mine disturbed a total of 110 acres of surface azea, of <br />which 16 acres have previously undergone fmal bond release, leaving the 94-acre bond release area <br />of the current bond release application SL-5. <br />Reclamation plan <br />The approved reclamation plan for the bond release azea calls for backfilling and regrading of pits <br />and ponds, topsoil replacement, and seeding (permit page 2.05-4). The following items in the bond <br />release area were approved in Minor Revision 33 to be permanently retained on the site: access roads <br />on the flanks of East pit, a permanent diversion neaz the base of Barren Ridge, and ditches azound the <br />base of the East pit azea. Permanent diversions on the slopes of the East pit reclaimed area were <br />approved as permanent in Technical Revision TR-34. Buildings and equipment in the former <br />facilities/office azea were approved as permanent in Minor Revision MR-33 and underwent fmal <br />bond release in SL-4. <br />Revegetation Success Standards <br />The revegetation success standazds applicable to the bond release azea aze set forth on page 2.05-8 of <br />the permit application. These standazds are summarized in Table 1, below. <br />