8.0 Site Reclamation Standards

The Planning Board or its designee shall periodically inspect the excavation operations and shall perform a final reclamation inspection in order to ensure that the approved plans have been followed. The standards below apply to the reclamation of permitted excavations in the Town of Wilton.

1. No slope in soil material shall be left steeper than 3:1 (three horizontal feet for each one foot of vertical drop) unless it can be demonstrated by the applicant that a steeper grade can be adequately vegetated and stabilized. Under no case shall a soil material slope be left steeper than 2:1.
2. All debris, stumps, boulders, etc. shall be lawfully disposed of in a manner acceptable to the Planning Board or its designee.
3. Ground levels and grades shall be established as shown on the approved reclamation plan as soon as practical after site excavation has been completed, but no later than one year.
4. Stockpiled topsoil shall be spread over the disturbed area to a depth to allow and maintain vegetation. Areas posing the most critical problems for re-vegetation shall be given first priority should available topsoil be limited. The disturbed area(s) shall be fertilized, if necessary, and seeded with a grass or grass-legume mixture.
5. If deemed necessary by the Planning Board, suitable trees or shrubs may be planted in order to provide screening and natural beauty and to aid in erosion control. Such planted areas shall be protected from erosion during an appropriate establishment period by mulch and structural erosion control devices.
6. Upon completion of the reclamation operations, the topography of the land shall be left so that water draining from the site leaves the property at the original, natural drainage points and in the natural proportions of flow.
7. The responsible party shall not be released from its performance commitment (reclamation bond) until the Planning Board certifies compliance with all terms of the Excavation and the Reclamation Plans. This bond needs to be in place for a minimum of 18 months after the reclamation of the site has been completed and approved by the Planning Board or the Planning Boards’s designee.
8. Except for excavation sites of operating stationary manufacturing plants, any excavated area of 5 contiguous acres or more, which is depleted of commercial earth materials, excluding bedrock, or any excavation from which earth materials of sufficient weight or volume to be commercially useful have not been removed for a one year period, shall be reclaimed in accordance with Sections 6.0 and 8.0 within one year. Each operator shall submit a reclamation plan and timetable.
9. Activities must be consistent with Section 9B.6.4 of the Zoning Ordinance.