Laserfiche WebLink
Phase 2 Release Criteria and Results <br />Reclamation of the Phase 2 area began in the mid-1990s. Overburden, subsoil, and topsoil <br />were replaced as part of the approved backfilling and grading plan at that time. As the land <br />topography was returned to the approximate original condition, topsoil was placed <br />according to the requirements of the permit, and revegetation took place using the <br />approved Seedmix #5. Seeding of the Phase 2 areas took place in the early to mid 2000s. <br />Details of topsoil and seeding years can be found in the tables on page 10. Sampling of the <br />parcels for this bond release application took place in 2008. <br />Phase 1 bond release was achieved for these parcels in 2009. <br />Phase 2 bond release of coal mine is based on the following Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining, and Safety criteria: <br />Rule 3.03.1(2) (b) <br />Up to eighty-five percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released upon the <br />establishment of vegetation which supports the approved land use and which meets the <br />approved success standard for cover, pursuant to 4.15.81 meets applicable productivity <br />standards for prime farmlands or alluvial valley floors pursuant to 3.03.1(3)(b), or <br />croplands pursuant to 4.15.9. With the exception of prime farmlands, evaluation of <br />vegetation establishment pursuant to this paragraph is based on statistically valid data <br />collected during a single year of liability period; <br />The 2008 Vegetation Sampling for Phase 2 Bond Release: Irrigated Pasture, dated <br />September 30, 2008 report by BIO-Logic Environmental in Appendix B demonstrate that <br />the Irrigated Pasture areas meet the requirements of the above rule. <br />For vegetation cover, Rule 4.15.8(3)(a) requires:"... demonstrate that the revegetated area <br />cover is not less than 90 percent of the reference area cover or 90 percent of the approved <br />standard..." New Horizon Mine's approved reclamation plan requires the irrigated pasture <br />to meet a technical standard of 71.8%. Therefore 90% of the standard (71.8%) equates to <br />64.6% cover. <br />According to the Bio-Logic September 30, 2008 Phase 2 Irrigated Pasture Report , the <br />combined irrigated pasture reclaimed area vegetation cover was 72.1% desirable perennials <br />vegetation plus 0.3% desirable annual vegetation for 72.4% cover (see Table 2, page 5 of <br />the September 30, 2008 Report). The 72.1% desirable perennial vegetation consists of 0.9% <br />Meadow Brome, 25.4% Orchardgrass, 44.6% Alfalfa and 1.2% Perennial Forbs and 0.3% <br />Annual Forbs (see Appendix C). Meadow Brome, Orchardgrass and Alfalfa are species <br />that are in the approved WFC Irrigated Pasture seed mix #5. Thus the irrigated pasture <br />reclaimed area vegetation is successful, since it is greater than 90% of the technical <br />standard of 71.8% (equals 64.6%)as required by Rule 4.15.8(3)(a). <br />SL-12 COMPARISON 16MARI Lwpd 13