N.M. Admin. Code § 19.15.29.13 - RESTORATION, RECLAMATION AND RE-VEGETATION

A. The responsible party must substantially restore the impacted surface areas to the condition that existed prior to the release or their final land use. Restoration of the site must include the replacement of removed material and must be replaced to the near original relative positions and contoured to achieve erosion control, long-term stability and preservation of surface water flow patterns.

B. Areas reasonably needed for production operations or for subsequent drilling operations must be compacted, covered, paved or otherwise stabilized and maintained in such a way as to minimize dust and erosion to the extent practical.

C. The responsible party must construct the soil cover to the site's existing grade and prevent ponding of water and erosion of the cover material.

D. Reclamation of areas no longer in use. The responsible party shall reclaim all areas disturbed by the remediation and closure, except areas reasonably needed for production operations or for subsequent drilling operations, as early and as nearly as practical to their original condition or their final land use and maintain those areas to control dust and minimize erosion to the extent practical.

(1) The reclamation must contain a minimum of four feet of non-waste containing, uncontaminated, earthen material with chloride concentrations less than 600 mg/kg as analyzed by EPA Method 300.0, or other test methods approved by the division. The soil cover must include a top layer, which is either the background thickness of topsoil or one foot of suitable material to establish vegetation at the site, whichever is greater.

(2)The responsible party must reseed disturbed area in the first favorable growing season following closure of the site.

(3) The division will consider reclamation of all disturbed areas complete when uniform vegetative cover has been established that reflects a life-form ratio of plus or minus fifty percent of pre-disturbance levels and a total percent plant cover of at least seventy percent of pre-disturbance levels, excluding noxious weeds.

(4) For any major or minor release containing liquids, the responsible party must notify the division when reclamation and re-vegetation are complete.

E. The surface restoration, reclamation and re-vegetation obligations imposed by federal or state agencies or tribes on lands managed or owned by those agencies supersede these provisions and govern the obligations of any responsible party subject to those provisions, provided that the other requirements provide equal or better protection of fresh water, human health and the environment.

Notes

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.15.29.13

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 15, August 14, 2018, eff. 8/14/2018