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The access road to the mine bench was reclaimed using material cast over the side during its construction. In order to guarantee long term stability of the mine bench, the approved reclamation plan was to partially backfill the bench and regrade the portal bench fill in order to reduce the outslope gradient. Therefore, material from other sources had to be used for backfill. Coal waste from the lower stockpile area was hauled to the mine bench, as well as coal waste from the West Elk Mine. The operator also received approval, through the technical revision process, to borrow colluvial material from an area immediately south of the portal bench. Approximately 10,000 cubic yards of material was removed from this site to be used as backfill and as a growth media for the mine bench. The large rocks and steep slopes prohibited initial salvage of growth media. But, soil sampling for fertility, salinity, and texture was done on the reclaimed areas in order to amend the soil to assure revegetation success. Approximate final contours of both the mine bench and the hillside borrow area are shown in Exhibit F-2 of the permit application. The mine bench backfill was placed on approximately a 15 degree slope from the invert of the drainage ditch on the top of the mine bench, which left an approximate 35-foot highwall. The hillside borrow area was not excavated to a slope greater than 25 degrees. The stabilization of the slope below the mine bench was done in 1985 in accordance with the Mine Bench Stabilization Project. The mine bench is monitored quarterly for stability and water level. The bench has shown to be relatively stable with the exception of a small slump in 1988 and 1989. These were subsequently repaired and reseeded. The backfilling required upon final reclamation includes three sediment ponds and the light-use road. XI Revegetation A. Blue Ribbon's revegetation plan can be found in Section 2.05.3, beginning on page 111 in the permit application. Revegetation areas are shown in Exhibit Q and Exhibit E shows the vegetation communities. The majority of the revegetation work has been completed during initial reclamation in 1986. Areas still to be revegetated include the three sediment ponds, associated ditches, and the light-use road. Two communities will be re-established on the disturbed area. A grassland community will be re-established on the uplands and slopes away from Hubbard Creek, and a riparian community along the creek and flat valley bottom. -31-