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made for East and West Roatcap Creek as well as the lands affected in the Terror Creek drainage <br />basin. <br />Based on this information the Division makes the following findings: <br />Pursuant to Rule 2.06.8(5)(a)(i), the Division finds that the proposed surface mining <br />operations, would not interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on Alluvial Valley <br />Floors (Rule 2.06.8(5)). <br />2. Pursuant to Rule 2.05.8(5)(a)(ii), the Division finds that the proposed surface coal mining <br />operations would not materially damage the quantity and quality of water in surface and <br />ground water systems that supply those Alluvial Valley Floors or portions of Alluvial <br />Valley Floors. <br />3. Pursuant to Rule 4.24.2(1), the Division finds that the proposed surface coal mining <br />operation has been designed to preserve the essential hydrologic functions of Alluvial <br />Valley Floors. <br />XVIII. Operations on Prime Farmland - Rule 4.25 <br />Information pertaining to prime farmland may be found in Section 2.04 and in the Prime <br />Farmland Appendix of Volume 9A. <br />The Division has previously made a negative determination pertaining to the presence of prime <br />farmland at this site. The basis of this determination has been letters from the Soil Conservation <br />Society specifying that there are no prime farmland mapping units within the permit area. <br />The Division has not received any information causing a change to this previous determination. <br />Therefore, the Division reaffirms a negative determination pertaining to the presence of prime <br />farmland within the permit area. <br />The operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. <br />XIX. Mountaintop Removal - Rule 4.26 <br />This section is not applicable to the Bowie No. 1 Mine. <br />XX. Operations on Steep Slopes - Rule 4.27 <br />The Bowie No. 1 Mine has obtained a variance from the requirement for restoration of affected <br />lands to their approximate original contour in accordance with Rules 2.06.5 and 4.27. The <br />variance was granted under the 1981 permit and is hereby reaffirmed. The variance applies to <br />the mine benches only and was granted because it was demonstrated that backfilling the benches <br />to approximate original contour on such a steep slope would not achieve the required slope <br />stability safety factor of 1.3 (see Volumes 6 and 6A, Stability Analysis, for a complete <br />discussion). <br />The original Bowie No. 1 Mine permit application specified that, because the mine was an <br />underground mine, Rule 4.27 regarding steep slope mining was not applicable. This is not the <br />Page 40 of 42 <br />