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office area to the approximate original contour (AOC) and the backfilling and grading of the yard area to AOC. The approved drainage control operations at the Apex No. 2 Mine involve the diversion of undisturbed area drainage away from the minesite and the collection of disturbed area drainage for the purpose of sediment treatment. Undisturbed area drainage is diverted by a system of three approved design ditches and two culverts. Except for the drainage off of the office and fan areas, disturbed area drainage is channeled to the approved design sediment pond by way of a system of five approved design ditches, one Swale and one culvert. At the office and fan areas, the operator has demonstrated, using modeling and observation techniques, that these two areas qualify for small area exemption status. III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS The Apex No. 2 Mine has been reclaimed in accordance with the approved plan. The yard and former office areas have been reclaimed to AOC. The portal highwall has been partially reclaimed in accordance with the approved variance from AOC, in accordance with 4.14.1(2)(f). Details are provided below. Reclamation plans are located in the Apex No. 2 Mine permit application, starting on page 182 and including two maps, "Final Contour Map" and "Post Mining Contour Map." The operator removed the mine facilities structures during July and Auqust of 1992. Backfilling and grading operations were performed during September and October of 1992. Comparison, during the bond release inspection, of the approved post-mining topography map with the on-sits work confirmed that the backfilling and grading operations at the yard area and the former office area had achieved AOC. The topography of the reclaimed yard area approximates the approved post mining topography, with the entire yard area at an elevation approximately three feet above the elevation of Trout Creek. Topographically, the yard area blends in with the rest of the floodplain. Comparison of the as-constructed topographic map supplied by the operator and the approved postmining topographic map shows that the backfilled slope of the former office area approximates the approved design, with a slope of approximately 2H:1V. This backfilled slope blends in with the surrounding topography. In mid 1992 a small slump developed in a portion of the backfilled slope of the former office area. A design change was implemented as part of the repair plan in order to prevent surface water from saturating the backfilled slope. The permanent drainage was lined with a geo-textile material, underlain by plastic sheeting. Once grading repair operations were finished, stakes were placed into the backfilled area and monitored for movement. No movement was observed. Additional stakes were placed