25 Pa. Code § 87.83 - Prime farmlands
A person who conducts, or intends to conduct, surface coal mining and reclamation operations on prime farmland historically used for cropland shall submit a plan, as part of the permit application, for the mining and restoration of the land. The plan shall contain at a minimum:
(1) The proposed method and type of equipment
to be used for removal, storage and replacement of the soil in accordance with
§§ 87.177-87.181.
(2) The proposed measures to be taken during
soil reconstruction to prevent excessive compaction and achieve soil bulk
densities which will result in the restored area returned to equivalent or
higher levels of yield as nonmined prime farmland in the surrounding area under
equivalent levels of management.
(3) The location of areas to be used for the
separate stockpiling of the soil and plans for soil stabilization before
distribution.
(4) If applicable,
documentation, such as agricultural school studies or other scientific data
from comparable areas, that supports the use of other suitable material,
instead of the B or C soil horizon, to obtain on the restored area equivalent
or higher levels of yield as nonmined prime farmlands in the surrounding area
under equivalent levels of management.
(5) Plans for seeding or cropping the final
graded disturbed land and the conservation practices to be used to adequately
control erosion and sedimentation and restoration of an adequate soil moisture
regime, during the period from completion of regrading until release of the
bond under Chapter 86 Subchapter F (relating to bonding and insurance
requirements). Proper adjustments for seasons shall be proposed so that final
graded land is not exposed to erosion during seasons when vegetation or
conservation practices cannot be established due to weather
conditions.
(6) Available
agricultural school studies or other scientific data for areas with comparable
soils, climate and management-including water management-that demonstrate that
the proposed method of reclamation will achieve, within a reasonable time,
equivalent or higher levels of yield after mining as existed before
mining.
(7) A soil survey with
description of soil mapping units and representative soil profile under §
87.53(d)(1) (relating to prime farmland investigation). The soil profile
description shall include, but not be limited to, soil horizon depths, pH and
range of soil densities for each prime farmland soil unit within the proposed
permit area. The Department may require the applicant to provide information on
other physical and chemical soil properties as needed to make a determination
that the operator has the technological capability to restore the prime
farmland within the permit area to the soil reconstruction standards of
§§ 87.178-87.181.
Notes
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