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<br /> <br />mining and/or reclamation operations. Herbicides have been used to control <br />noxious weeds on the reclaimed mine site. The Division approved this usage <br />(4.18(4)(8))• <br />B. Fish and wildlife habitat is a planned post-mining land use. The applicant has <br />selected appropriate plant species and distributions to benefi[ fish and wildlife <br />(4.18(4)(I)). <br />VIII. Operations on Alluvial Valley Floors <br />Rules 2.06.8 and 4.24 provide for the identification of alluvial valley floors that are or <br />could be suitable for agricultural use. These rules, in part, are designed to preserve <br />and protect these areas. <br />An important point to be considered with regard to this operation is the fact that the <br />operation (mine and loadout) was constructed prior to the enactment of the alluvial <br />valley floor regulations for underground coal mines. Prior to the Colorado Permanent <br />Regulatory Program, the alluvial valley floor regulations did not apply to underground <br />coal mines or associated loadouts. <br />For those mining facilities already constructed on alluvial valley floors, the Division is <br />ensuring that those areas will be restored after mining in accordance with Rule 4.24. <br />However, all new mining operations proposed by the operator were reviewed under the <br />full context of alluvial valley floor regulations. <br />For the purposes of this section, the mine and loadout will be discussed separately. <br />A. Mine <br />The operator conducted areconnaissance-level study of the mine area to determine <br />those areas that might qualify as alluvial valley floors. The study area is indicated <br />on Map D-5-1 and discussed in Volume I, Section 5.2, of the application. <br />The study area included the potential 20+ year life-of--mine area, in addition to the <br />first permitted five-year mine plan area. Also, areas adjacent to the life-of-mine <br />were considered for distances in excess of three miles. The total area considered <br />for this mine investigation was in excess of 75 square miles. <br />Black and white and color aerial photos were used for the study. In addition, areas <br />were field checked for accuracy. <br />The study identified areas of unconsolidated streamlaid deposits along the North, <br />Middle, and South Thompson Creeks and their tributaries. Surveys and field <br />checks of these deposits revealed that the alluvium is relatively thin, intermittent, <br />and restricted to the immediate stream channels. No identifiable soils were <br />,~ <br />