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~. <br />• '~ <br />3. The Division finds that activities proposed by the applicant <br />will not interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on the <br />alluvial valley floors that are irrigated or naturally <br />subirrigated (4.24.3(1)). <br />4. The operation proposed by the applicant produced coal in <br />commercial quantities and was located within or adjacent to an <br />alluvial valley floor prior to August 3, 1977 (4.24.3(4)(a) and <br />2.06.8(5)(b)(i)(A)). <br />Therefore, the operations within a specific geographic area may <br />continue despite their proximity to an alluvial valley floor. <br />The specific geographic area has been delineated as the loadout. <br />This was identified in a reclamation plan approved by the Mined <br />Land Reclamation Board prior to August 3, 1477, for a surface <br />coal mine (4.34.3(4) and 2.06.8(6)(b)(ii>(A>). <br />5. Surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be <br />conducted to preserve the essential hydrologic functions of <br />alluvial valley floors outside the permit area and to <br />reestablish the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial <br />valley floors within the affected area throughout the mining <br />and reclamation process (4.24.2). <br />IX. Operations on Prime Farmland <br />The discussion of prime farmlands can be found in Volume I, Section 5.1 <br />of the Snowmass Coal Company application. In addition, soil survey <br />work is contained in Section 3.8.2, topsoil removal and storage is <br />discussed in Section 4.4.3, and agricultural yields for the site are <br />presented in Section 3.2.1. <br />An investigation was conducted of the mine site to determine whether <br />prime farmlands existed in or adjacent to the five-year permit area. <br />The investigation revealed that there are no soil map units that have <br />been designated prime farmland by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service <br />within or adjacent to the mine site. This information is one of the <br />criteria listed in Rule 2.04.12(2) as acceptable to make a negative <br />determination. Based on this, the Division finds that no prime <br />farmlands exist in the five-year mine permit area. <br />A similar investigation was conducted for the mine loadout facility and <br />its associated haul road. A small portion of the loadout haul road has <br />been constructed on soils mapped by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service <br />as prime farmland. The Division finds that the soil units 70C - <br />Unnamed silt loan - and d71 - Almy loam - identified on Soils Map <br />D-3-16, is the only area of prime farmland in or adjacent to the <br />loadout permit area. No additional disturbance is proposed for this <br />unit of prime farmland or any other unit within this five-year permit <br />term. <br />On behalf of the landowner, the operator requested that the haul road, <br />which disturbed a small portion of prime farmland, be retained after <br />-2h- <br />