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degree of environmental stability required by the Coal Regulatory <br /> provisions. Therefore, changes were made to the reclamation plans <br /> concerning road reclamation and the Rock Tunnel. The road <br /> reclamation plan was most changed from the permit. The permitted <br /> reclamation plan was premised on the concept that the existing road <br /> drainage system contributed to the overall health of the Coal Basin <br /> hydrologic regime. However, it has been well documented by the <br /> Division that this concept is inaccurate. Therefore, a plan to <br /> encourage a return to pre-mining hydrologic conditions was <br /> developed. Road drainage systems were eliminated by filling the <br /> inside drainage ditches and removal of culverts. The roads were <br /> graded to either have a flat cross sectional area, or a cross <br /> section dipping to the outside of the road. Rolled dips and low <br /> water crossings were constructed to promote the pre-mining drainage <br /> patterns. The road bases were ripped to a minimum depth of <br /> eighteen inches on thirty inch centers, and were fertilized, seeded <br /> and mulched. Resources was notified of the Division plan to modify <br /> the approved reclamation plan, but made no response to the <br /> proposal. <br /> Initially, Roads C, E, F, and G were to be reclaimed. However, in <br /> the late winter a decision was made to implement the new plan on <br /> the north side roads (E, F, G) prior to initiating the plan <br /> throughout the Basin. These roads will be evaluated as snow melt <br /> allows during the spring of 1997 for stability, preliminary <br /> revegetation success and erosion patterns. Changes to future road <br /> reclamation specifications will be made if necessary, based <br /> partially upon these observations. <br /> The other change to the reclamation plan was implemented at the <br /> Rock Tunnel. The reclamation plan in the permit did not specify <br /> how the discharge from the tunnels would be routed through the <br /> backfill to adjacent streams. The tunnels discharge up to 2 cubic <br /> feet per second during the spring. The Division devised a plan <br /> which addressed safe discharge of the water from the entries, <br /> continued access to the interior of the mine for maintenance <br /> purposes, and safe guarding of the entries from public ingress. <br /> Resources was provided with a copy of the plan, but did not provide <br /> comments. <br /> Prior to initiating work on the Mines 1 and 2 project, the <br /> requirement to revegetate the estimated 35 acres of mine bench <br /> outslopes was deleted from the project. This was done because the <br /> Division determined that a more reliable method of revegetating the <br /> slopes had to be developed. This determination was made after <br /> visual observations of the 1995 outslope revegetation were made. <br /> Instead of completing the revegetation outlined in the bid <br /> document, it was determined to conduct more experiments in 1996 <br /> with an eye to defining an approach to outslope revegetation which <br /> holds more promise for success. <br /> The issue of hazardous wastes having been improperly disposed of at <br /> 5 <br />