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for the surface facilities at the mine. This design was submitted and approved in Technical <br />Revision No. 28. The cut and fill areas will be restored to their approximate original contour <br />except for an access road which will remain following reclamation. The access road will be <br />within a 20 foot wide terrace corridor associated with the access road. <br />In August 1986, the operator submitted a permit revision application to construct a West Mine <br />portal facility in the East Roatcap Creek valley at the Orchard Valley (Bowie No. 1) Mine. This <br />application proposed the construction of a new portal facility and haul road, because the existing <br />portals at the Orchard Valley (Bowie No. 1) Mine had been rendered unusable by an <br />underground coal mine fire. The applicant proposed to upgrade an existing public access road to <br />serve as a coal haul road to the proposed west portal bench, which was to be constructed by a <br />balanced cut and fill method. The portal bench fill included a 130 -foot maximum height terraced <br />earthen fill constructed across East Roatcap Creek. Maximum inter - terrace facial slopes did not <br />exceed a 2.5h:1.0v (horizontal to vertical) slope gradient. A 48 -inch concrete culvert was <br />installed beneath the cross valley fill to accommodate the 100 -year flow of the East Roatcap <br />Creek. <br />The permit revision application included geotechnical specifications documented in the Orchard <br />Valley (Bowie No. 1) West Mine Appendix, Volume 6, prepared by Golder and Associates, <br />consultants to the operator. This appendix presents the results of geotechnical investigations, <br />stability analyses and detailed engineering designs for the west portal bench cut and fill and the <br />accompanying upgraded haul road. The stability analyses were based upon projected slope <br />configurations and material mechanical properties obtained from material sampling and <br />laboratory analyses. <br />Stability analyses were completed for both the operational and reclaimed configurations of the <br />west portal facility area. Reclamation of the West Mine began in 2000 with complete structural <br />demolition and removal at the West Mine portal bench. The three portal adits were backfilled <br />with compacted, non - combustible material. Structural demolition at the West Mine fan area was <br />also accomplished. Backfilling and grading of the West Mine portal bench began in 2000 as <br />well. However, because of site constraints, complete backfilling and grading was only possible <br />for the upper portion of the site. When vegetation has been established on the upper portion, the <br />East Roatcap Creek culvert will be removed and the lower portion will be backfilled and graded. <br />BRL applied for, and received approval for, a partial Phase I bond release for reclamation work <br />performed at the Bowie No. 1 East Mine and the Bowie No. 1 West Mine. The Division is <br />currently reviewing a request for a partial bond release for further reclamation of the East Mine. <br />XI. Revegetation - Rule 4.15 <br />Information pertaining to vegetation baseline may be found in Part 2.04 of Volume 1, and in the <br />Vegetation Appendix of Volume 9A. Information pertaining to the revegetation plan and <br />vegetation success criteria may be found in Part 2.05 of Volume 1, and in the Vegetation <br />Appendix of Volume 9A. <br />Disturbance at the Bowie No. 1 Mine began in late 1975. Currently, additional disturbances are <br />not anticipated due to the cessation of mining. Initial disturbance occurred prior to any <br />requirements for preparation of vegetation inventories; thus, portions of this mine site were not <br />surveyed. However, as areas were proposed to be disturbed after the initial permit was issued, <br />they were first inventoried. <br />Page 30 of 42 <br />