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Huntsman !Old Refuse Pile. The Huntsman Project was conducted on a portion of the <br />Old Refuse Pile that, while within the Mid Continent permit area, was exempted from <br />reclamation liability, as it was not affected by mining operations after July 1977. Mining <br />impacted areas that have not been disturbed by an active mining operation subsequent to <br />July, 1977 are not required to be reclaimed by the mining company. These areas, known <br />as "Pre-Law" disturbances, are eligible to be reclaimed by the State using monies set <br />aside by the Federal government for just this purpose. The Huntsman and two other azeas <br />within the Coal Basin Mine permit area were eligible for reclamation funding under this <br />pre-law concept. <br />The Inactive Mines Program using Federal grant money designed, funded and <br />constructed the Huntsman reclamation project. The purpose of the project was to <br />alleviate steep slopes and reduce the potential for a massive failure of a coal waste <br />disposal facility into Coal Creek. The slope of the Old Refuse Pile was reduced to a <br />stable average 2H : 1 V configuration. Topsoil was placed over the cut slope, and the <br />project area was scarified, seeded and mulched. <br />Approximately 53,000 cubic yards of refuse cut from the outslopes of the Old Refuse Pile <br />was hauled and placed over the concrete debris, generated during the Wash Plant <br />Demolition project, at the toe of the north facing cut slope south of the former location of <br />the thermal dryer and wash plant. <br />The Huntsman Project was conducted on public property managed by the U. S. Forest <br />Service. <br />Dutch Creek Diversion. DRMS applied for, and received, a grant from OSM to replace <br />the problem-prone Dutch Creek flume with a permanent, naturally functioning channel. <br />The grant mechanism used for this project was a Civil Penalty fund administered by the <br />Office of Surface Mining. The Office of Surface Mining redistributes money it collects <br />from monetary penalties levied against out of compliance coal mining operations. These <br />are provided via grants to various states solely for the purpose of accomplishing <br />reclamation at sites where inadequate funding is available. <br />The new Dutch Creek channel was designed and constructed so that it mimicked the <br />stream characteristics ofthe stream above the flume. The channel was constructed in the <br />fall of 1998 to take advantage of low flow conditions, and when completed, diverted the <br />Dutch Creek flow upstream of the flume. <br />This project was conducted primarily on public property managed by the U. S. Forest <br />Service; however, the upper portion of the diversion channel is located on private <br />property. <br />13 <br />