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XVI. Concurrent Surface and Underground Mining <br />No specific approvals are granted under this section. <br />XVII. Operations on Alluvial Valley Floors <br />A. The Division has determined that two alluvial valley floors exist within the <br />affected or adjacent area. Therefore, the following findings are in order for the <br />alluvial valley floors known as the Stonewall Valley AVF and the Picketwire <br />Valley AVF located in the Purgatoire River Valley. <br />The Division finds that activities proposed by the applicant will not <br />interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on the alluvial valley floors that <br />are irrigated or naturally subirrigated (4.24.3(1)). <br />2. The proposed activities will not materially damage the quantity or quality <br />of water in the surface or groundwater system described above (4.24.3(3) <br />and 2.06.8(5)(a)(ii)). <br />3. The proposed activities will comply with the requirements of the Act and <br />the Regulations with respect to alluvial valley floors (2.06.8(5)(a)(iii)). <br />4. The operation proposed by the applicant produced coal in commercial <br />quantities and was located within or adjacent to an alluvial valley floor <br />prior to August 3, 1977 (4.24.3(4)(a) and 2.06.8(5)(b)(i)(A)). <br />Therefore, the operations within a specific geographic area may continue despite <br />their proximity to an alluvial valley floor. The specific geographic area has been <br />delineated as the actual extent of mine workings on August 3, 1977 and adjacent <br />area for which there existed substantial demonstrable financial or regulatory <br />commitment to mine in the future (2.06.8(5)(b)(ii)(B)). <br />Surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be conducted to preserve <br />the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors outside the permit area <br />and to reestablish the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors within <br />the affected area throughout the mining and reclamation process (4.24.2). <br />B. An environmental monitoring system shall be installed, maintained, and operated <br />by the permittee on all alluvial valley floors during surface coal mining and <br />reclamation operations and continued until all bonds are released in accordance <br />with Rule 3. A hydrologic monitoring program included as part of the approved <br />permit monitors both surface water and alluvial ground water in the alluvial valley <br />floor of the Purgatoire River (4.24.4). <br />1fi <br />