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and operation of existing facilities. Exceptions to this limitation in any year may be <br />specifically authorized in writing by the area manager, Bureau of Land Management. <br />A. Wildlife habitat is a planned post-mining land use. The applicant has selected appropriate <br />plant species and distributions to benefit fish and wildlife. (4.18(4)(i)). <br />B. Pursuant to Rule 4.18(5)(g), the Division has approved the use of certain selective and <br />broad-spectrum herbicides of varying persistence, for application in accordance with <br />label specifications for specific uses. Applications include limited use of 2,4-D for <br />control of annual weeds on reclaimed areas, and use of "Oust" and "Roundup" for <br />cheatgrass control and other uses as specified in the permit. <br />XIV. Protection of Underground Mining <br />No specific approvals are granted to the applicant under this section. <br />XV. Subsidence Control <br />Subsidence survey, monitoring, and control plans are addressed in Section III.A.7 of Volume <br />4 of the permit application. <br />The operator has completed a survey of structures and renewable resource lands existing <br />within the permit area. Structures of concern include portions of Rio Blanco County Road <br />65 and 97, a 138kV power line, the refuse haul road and stock ponds (Raven Park Reservoir <br />and Halandras Reservoir). Project impacts, monitoring plans and mitigation measures are <br />addressed within the application. <br />County Road 65 was visually monitored on a daily basis by the operator during periods of <br />undermining by D seam longwall operations, and repairs were made as necessary. Road <br />segments subject to subsidence were posted with appropriate warning signs. Similar <br />monitoring, repairs, and hazard signage will be conducted during B seam extraction beneath <br />the road. The two stock pond reservoirs referenced above could potentially be impacted by <br />tension cracks due to longwall subsidence. The stock ponds will be visually monitored <br />during undermining and repaired as necessary. The power line is owned by BME and the <br />mine is the only customer served by the power line. Power structures within areas of active <br />subsidence will be monitored periodically by the operator and repaired if necessary. <br />The operator has calculated the maximum predicted surface subsidence based on previous <br />mining conducted within the permit area, site specific geologic conditions, seam thickness, <br />and overburden depths, utilizing British National Coal Board (BCB) and US Bureau of <br />Mines modeling. The operator has predicted up to 7.7 feet of surface subsidence for <br />longwall mining areas and up to 0.5 feet of subsidence for room and pillar mining areas. <br />Based on predicted horizontal tensile strains, surface cracks up to several inches wide are <br />anticipated within zones of maximum subsidence, with the extent of cracking dependent on <br />the nature of near surface geologic strata and surface soil cover. <br />Deserado Mine 28 September 19, 2008