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Original reclamation plans for [he South Portals area had entailed retention of existing mine bench and <br />highwall, but the plan had been revised to reflect elimination of the bench and Itighwall, and to <br />approximate the general nature of the premining topography, prior to the 1993 permit renewal. As <br />a component of the 1995 mid-term review, [he Division requested additional detail on final <br />reclamation configuration of the Roadside Refuse Disposal Area (RSRDA), and documentation of <br />reclamation material balances for [he entire South Portal area, including the RSRDA. <br />PR-02, approved in 1997, included a more detailed final reclamation plan for the Roadside Refuse <br />Disposal Area (RSRDA) and South Portals disturbance area including riprapped permanent drainage <br />channels leading to a permanent grated drain and 9.5' CMP conveyor tube to convey drainage Flow <br />from the reclaimed site beneath [he interstate to the river. Documentation of material balances was <br />also provided in PR-02, in 1997, and relevant postmine topographic maps and cross-sections were <br />amended. <br />The North Decline was backfilled and graded in the spring of 1992. Material that had been piled <br />above the portal area was dozed into the decline. A fair approximation of extrapolated original <br />contours was achieved. The North Decline had been constructed prior [o the Act so accurate records <br />of pre-mine contours do not exist. The final reclaimed contours blend with landforms observed in the <br />undisNrbed surrounding landscape. The drainage channel of the unnamed drainage was reestablished <br />through the regraded area and riprapped with l2-inch or greater riprap on the 7.5 percent slope areas <br />and 6 inches or greater on the 2.5 percent grades. Some minor settling of the fill has occurred above <br />the portal location since the initial backfilling and grading occurred, and some remedial grading has <br />been performed to fill in settling cracks and ensure proper functioning of the sediment control system. <br />The 1993 renewal permit had included a stipulation (Stipulation No. 1) which requested additional <br />information regarding proposed placement of coal processing waste in the Cameo Decline (now <br />referred to as North Portals Decline) during final reclamation. In PR-02, [he reclamation plan for [he <br />decline was revised [o eliminate use of coal processing waste in the backfill, and revised reclamation <br />material balance documentation was provided. As a result, the stipulation is no longer applicable, and <br />has been terminated. <br />VIII. Reve¢eta[ion <br />Vegetation information reviewed by the Division can be found in Section 2.04.10, Tab 10, Volume <br />3; Revegetation Plan information is in Section 2.0.4 (2)(e), Tab 14, of Volume ~ of the application. <br />Due to the fact that the Roadside and Cameo Mines were existing prior to enactment of SMCRA and <br />the Colorado Act, no baseline vegetation data was collected from areas already disturbed by surface <br />operations and facilities. The permittee established reference areas and gathered the appropriate <br />baseline vegetation information prior to initial issuance of the permit. <br />The vegetation surrounding the disturbed area is a sparsely covered salt desert vegetation type, and <br />along the Colorado River a riparian vegetation type exists. Common salt desert species include <br />grasses such as galleta Hilaria Jamesii), Indian ricegrass (Orvzopsis hymenoides) and squireltail <br />(Sitanian hvsrix) and shrubs such as winterfat (Ceratoides Janata), shadscale saltbush Atri lex <br />confertifolia) and fourwing saltbush (Atriolex canescens). The riparian vegetation type is <br />characterized by species including willows Salix spp.), cottonwoods Po ulus ~.), salt cedar <br />(Tamarix parviflora) and bluegrass (Poa gip.). Greasewood (Sarcobatus vetmiculatus) occurs along <br />40 <br />