Laserfiche WebLink
approved reclan?atian plan," Postwmining topography far the New Horizon Mine ? area was approved far <br />Phase ? bond releases in 1)ecember,1994 ESL-03), and August,1996 ?,?L-04). <br />PHASE I? <br />Rule 3.03.1 ?2)?b? states, "'?Up to eighty-five percent of the applicable bond amount shah be released open <br />the establishment of vegetation which supports the approved post:-mining land use and which meets the <br />approved success standard far cover... based on statistically valid data collected during a single year of <br />the liability period". In regard to Phase ? bond release, Rule 3.03.??3}fib} also states, "No mare than sixty <br />??0}percent of the bond shall be released sa long as the lands to which the release would be applicable <br />are contributing suspended solids to streamflaw ar runoff outside the permit area in excess of pre-mining <br />levels as detern?.ined by baseline data or in excess of levels determined an adjacent non-mined areas'". <br />The New Horizon # 1 site is divided iota 3 permit areas and 4 vegetation sampling areas. Vegetation <br />transect data far years 1999 and 2000 vegetation studies by Intermountain Resource Inventories Inc. were <br />included in the application. Par this report, the 3 permit areas are Areas lA,1B, and Area 2 (sometimes <br />called 1C ar the Rice Tract}. Area 2 was used only far sedimentalogy calculations for the elimination <br />of pond 001 NPI)ES autfall. <br />The New Horizon #1 Mine area was a sagebrush vegetation type community prior to development into <br />a strip ?.ine by Edna Caal Company in 1958. Peabody Caal Company bought the mine from Fdna in <br />193 and operated it until 1983. The greatest percentage of disturbance in the Mine 1 area was caused <br />by Peabody Coal Company's mining. The majority of disturbance was pre-law ar re-mining during the <br />interim S14ICRA rules, Far the areas of topsail salvage, redistribution standards, woody plant densities, <br />and vegetation success criteria, Rule x,15.10 apply. <br />Peabody conducted reclamation an their sites Pram 19?8 to 1990, Western Fuels-Colorado purchased the <br />mine in 199 and began mining in what is now called the New ;Horizon #2 Mine, south of the older <br />Peabody site. The reclamation standards of the New Plari?an #1 area are given. in Tab 22 of the permit <br />document. In 1994, WPC applied for a Phase 1 & 2 band release but only received Phase 1 band release <br />for Areas la and lb Mine 1?. In Tune of 199?b, WFC received a Phase 1 release far Area lc. In 1995 and <br />199, WFC irrigated and re-seeded most of Permit Area 1 c Mine 1 ?, therefore, this area is net listed far <br />the current Phase 2 and 3 band release. <br />All topsoil that was salvaged during this timeframe was redistributed to the fullest extent passible. <br />Depths far the topsail re-distribution ranged from 0 to 1,5 feet. <br />In 1'999, a revision to the reclamation standards of Tab 2,2 was approved to allow a dry rangeland <br />reference area instead of the previous upland sagebrush reference area. In the year 1999, vegetative <br />sampling was conducted for Vegetation Sampling Areas 1-A, 1-8, and Area 2 as well as the upland <br />sagebrush reference area and the dry rangeland reference area. In the year 2000, vegetative sampling was <br />conducted far Vegetation S ampling Areas 1-A and 1-B as well as the upland sagebrush reference area <br />and the dry rangeland reference area. Both years also measured alfalfa production from the hayfield in <br />Permit Area 1c, although this area is not requested for band release. <br />PHASE III <br />Rule 3.03.1 {2}tc} states that the final portion of performance bond, '"shall be released when the permttee <br />has successfully completed all surface coal mining reclamation operations in accordance with the