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The application is, by exception or otherwise, in compliance with the elements of this rule. <br />Remaining reclamation activities do not degrade environmental quality, do support land uses, <br />and have minimal disturbance and minimal adverse impacts, on fish, wildlife and other related <br />environmental values. Activities aze limited to permit azeas. The rights of surface landowners <br />and others have been protected. (Rule 4.01.1) <br />County Road 237 crosses the permit area. Appropriate identification signs aze posted at the <br />permit boundaries and at the entrance to the portal azea from the road. Steel green pickets with <br />orange tops have delineated azeas of disturbance. Stream buffer zones aze marked. (Rule 4.02) <br />An existing (pre-mining) road was used as a haul road during previous permit terms (PAP page <br />89), and is retained as a permanent feature. (Rule 4.03) <br />All support facilities have been removed (reclaimed) from the site. (Rule 4.04) <br />Ground water hydrology is described within the PAP on pages 33 through 46. The surface water <br />information within the PAP is found on pages 47 through 59. Established vegetative cover <br />minimizes disturbance of the prevailing hydrologic balance. The requirement to direct surface <br />runoff to a sedimentation pond was rescinded with the SL-02 bond release. Permanent riprap <br />relief down-drains provide added protection to property (inhibit erosion of the steep erosion <br />embanlanent of the Harvey Gap drainage), and enhance public safety (reduction of rock-fall <br />hazard from the steep erosion embankment). There is no discharge from underground workings <br />(Rule 4.05). The probable hydrologic consequences of the operation were predicted as minimal <br />(PAP page 116), and are actually less due to curtailment of activity (Annual Hydrological <br />Reports). <br />The only mining activity left is reclamation. The applicant proposes contemporaneous <br />reclamation of remaining features (PAP page 91). (Rule 4.13) <br />All backfill and grading activities at the site have been completed. The site was reclaimed to <br />what was likely approximate pre-mining contours. Portal face-up walls were eliminated with <br />backfill. (Rule 4.14) <br />Vegetation has been established in accordance with the permit (Rule 4.15). Adequacy of <br />revegetation has yet to be demonstrated prior to final bond release. Seeding operations were <br />accomplished in 1995 (PAP page 89 and 90, ARR 1995). There is no sign of erosion at the site. <br />At the time of this review, sediment control features have been backfilled and graded. They have <br />yet to be seeded. A cover of 35% is the success standard at the Eastside Mine (PAP page 91). <br />The approved method of testing is the line intercept (point) method with random 100-foot <br />transects (PAP, pages 91, 92, and 77). The reclaimed azeas of the mine were previously disturbed <br />by mining (PAP pages 19, 77, Map HGP-7)(Map HGP-7 is Drawing 001-01-99-004.). Best <br />available suitable material was used (PAP page 92, Sl-O1 bond release) for the seedbed. The area <br />had been disturbed by road construction, previous minins, and general abuse and neglect (PAP <br />2002 Midterm Review <br />Page 7 of 8 Pages <br />