_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (279)

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-3- OF THESE MONITORING WELLS, THE COMPANY SHALL MONITOR THESE WELLS ON A MONTHLY BASIS UNTIL CESSATION OF MONITORING IS APPROVED IN WRITING BY THE DIVISION. FURTHER, IF THE MONITORING RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE GROUND WATER CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED WITHIN THE COAL PROCESSING WASTE PILE DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY, IN THE OPINION OF THE DIVISION, FROM THOSE ASSUMPTIONS MADE IN COMPLETING THE STABILITY ANALYSIS, THE ANALYSIS SHALL BE REVISED APPROPRIATELY. IF A REVISED STABILITY ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT DESIGN REVISIONS ARE NECESSARY, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A STATIC SLOPE SAFETY FACTOR IN EXCESS OF 1.5, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN REVISIONS AND PLAN REVISIONS SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE COMPANY IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. XX. Roads (2.05.3(3) , 4.03) (A PORTION) The Coal Basin mine surface facilities include approximately 15 miles of steep grade haul roads connecting the five mine portals at elevations of up to 10,000 feet above sea level with processing facilities located at approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. Upon completion of the rock tunnel in 1984, the applicant intends to cease hauling coal over the surface road system, which thereafter will serve only as maintenance and emergency access to the portals and fan facilities. in the original application submittal, the applicant proposed to narrow the haul roads upon completion of the rock tunnel. "The reduction (of cut slopes) will be accomplished by moving the inside ditch out into the road and allowing the cut to slough behind the new ditch." (Page V-E-22) The U.S. Forest Service has requested that the reduced roads be retained to allow Forest Service access following cessation of mining in Coal Basin. The Division expressed concern in its Preliminary Adequacy Review that more detailed plans for reclamation of this complex road system would be necessary. Haul roads should be mapped and categorized in accordance with their geology, exposure to avalanches and landslidin g, type of construction (cut versus fill) , original cross-slope angles, etc. Each typical categoty of haul road should then be analyzed in order to determine what specific backfill, _grading, drainage and reclamation procedures would best assure stability of the final reclaimed configuration. Optimum procedures should then be proposed as the reclamation plan for each of the typical categories of haul road. In response to the Division's concerns expressed in the Preliminary Adequacy Review, the applicant has proposed to defer completion of a detailed plan for the reduction of haul roads until the completion of the rock tunnel. Because the entire road system is now in existence in its maximum proposed state of disturbance and because reclamation will not occur until sometime between the completion of the rock tunnel (1984) and the cessation of mining in Coal Basin (approximately 40 years in the future) , the topic is amenable to stipulation. The Division finds that the following stipulation is necessary for a finding of compliance with the reclamation requirements of Rules 2.05. 3(3) and 4.03.