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The Division approved this method for covering acid and toxic forming materials in order <br />to prevent leaching into surface and ground water and to insure backfill stability. <br />(4.14.3(2)). <br />The proposed operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. <br />VIII. Revegetation <br />Information on baseline vegetation for the Seneca II -W Mine permit area can be found in <br />Tab 10. Section 10.1 contains the contents from the previously approved permit <br />application package and Section 10.2 contains the information from the 1997 <br />supplemental baseline study of the Seneca II -W South Extension area. Information on the <br />revegetation plan and revegetation success criteria for the permit area can be found in <br />Tab 22 of the permit application. <br />During the course of the original permit review, a number of concerns arose regarding <br />the control of reference areas and reference area comparability. The applicant proposed, <br />in meetings with the Division, an extended reference area concept, which was <br />subsequently approved. As approved, the applicant will utilize all undisturbed vegetation <br />communities (representing those to be disturbed by mining) within the permit area as <br />components of "extended reference areas". The components of the extended reference <br />areas will be represented by a minimum of 100 acres of undisturbed aspen community, <br />300 acres of big sagebrush /grassland community, 450 acres of mixed brush community, <br />and 150 acres of western wheatgrass /alkali sagebrush community. In the II -W South <br />Extension area, the extended reference area will be represented by a minimum of 230 <br />acres of aspen forest, 300 acres of mountain brush, 150 acres of steep mountain brush, <br />200 acres of sagebrush and 100 acres of wheatgrass /alkali sagebrush. <br />The permanent seedmixes are composed predominantly of native species, and the few <br />introduced species included are desirable and necessary to achieve the approved <br />postmining land use, and are not poisonous or noxious. Two years of monitoring data <br />for various reclaimed areas at the Seneca II mine which were seeded with the proposed <br />alfalfa variety Medica o falcata), at the proposed rate (.25 lbs /acre) indicate that falcata <br />alfalfa does not compete excessively with other seeded species. Given its value as a <br />nitrogen fixer and as wildlife forage, inclusion of the species in the seedmix is warranted. <br />In TR -32, SCC committed to notify the Division each year with the seed mixes they can <br />obtain from the vendor. If the mix does not match the approved seed mix, SCC will <br />submit a minor revision to the Division for species approval prior to seeding. The <br />complete seedmix used in each reclaimed area is also listed in the Annual Reclamation <br />Report. <br />Revegetation success criteria, monitoring plans and methods of comparison for testing <br />revegetation success are addressed in Tab 22. Cover and production success for the <br />Seneca II -W Findings Document 48 C- 1982 -057 <br />Permit Revision No. 6 January 6, 2012 <br />