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Road J has been approved for permanent retention to provide landowner access to properties <br />within and adjacent to the permit area. The former haul road has been narrowed to a postmining <br />width of 20'; the remainder of the road width was regraded, the topsoil was replaced, and the <br />area has been seeded. The portion of the Road J corridor that extends into the South Extension <br />Area was excluded from the area released under SL-2, along with all of the South Extension <br />Area. Seneca Coal Company has requested, as part of the SL-3 application, Phase I bond release <br />of the road corridor, but not the surface of Road J. Observations during the September 21-23, <br />2010 inspection indicate that the reclaimed portions of the haul road are well vegetated and <br />stable. Erosional features needing repair were identified at the inlet and outlet sides of culvert J- <br />3, the outlet side of culvert J-4, and the outlet side of culvert J-5, as well as replacement and <br />maintenance of the silt fences and straw wattles at all of the culvert outlets. The Division <br />verified, during a subsequent inspection October 19, 2010, that the required maintenance had <br />been completed. The Division is proposing to grant Phase I bond release on the reclaimed <br />corridor of Road J. <br />Culvert I-1 <br />Culvert I-1 was excluded from the SL-2 bond release area because the culvert remained in place <br />and had not been approved for permanent retention. During the September 21-23, 2010 <br />inspection, the Division observed that the culvert had been crushed and buried, in accordance <br />with the approved reclamation plan. This area is now eligible for Phase I bond release and is <br />being included in the area proposed for the SL-3 release. <br />Scraper Road <br />The Scraper Road is at the crest of the reclaimed slope due north of the location where the Oil <br />Well Access road crosses Channel 006-NEL This area was identified as ineligible for Phase I <br />bond release with the SL-2 application, when it was determined that regrading did not achieve <br />proper blending at the boundary between the regraded area and the undisturbed hillslope. A 12.1 <br />acre area was excluded from the SL-2 Phase 1 Bond Release proposed decision. The Division <br />observed, during the September 21-23, 2010 bond release inspection, that the area was graded to <br />blend into the undisturbed area to the south. This area will now be included in the proposed <br />release area for SL-3. <br />Summary and Conclusions <br />The Division has completed its review and evaluation of the SL-3 Phase I bond release request <br />submitted by SCC for the Seneca II-W Mine. Specific areas as described in this document that do <br />not meet the criteria for Phase I bond release are listed below and are shown on Figures 4a, 4b, and <br />4c of this document. <br />SL-3 Exclusion Areas <br />Postmining Channel PM-2D 0.85 acres <br />Postmining Channel PM-4D 0.80 acres <br />Page 18 of 22