C. A natural buffer strip at least 50 feet wide must be maintained between the working edge of an excavation and a private road or a right-of-way. If a private road is contained within a wider right-of-way, the buffer is measured from the edge of the right-of-way. The width of the natural buffer strip adjacent to a private road may be reduced if the applicant receives written permission from the persons having a right-of-way over the private road.

The department may not grant a variance from the provisions of paragraph A or C. The department may grant a variance from paragraph B if the variance does not result in the natural buffer strip being reduced to less than 50 feet between the working edge of the excavation and any road or right-of-way, whichever is farther from the excavation, and if the owner or operator installs visual screening and safety measures as required by the department.

A distance specified in this subsection is measured from the outside edge of the shoulder of the road or edge of the right-of- way unless otherwise specifically provided.

7. Property boundary. A natural buffer strip at least 100 feet wide must be maintained between an excavation and any property boundary. This distance may be reduced to 10 feet with the written permission of the affected abutting property owner or owners, except that the distance may not be reduced to less than 25 feet from the boundary of a cemetery or burial ground. The natural buffer strip between quarries owned by abutting owners may be eliminated with the abutter's written permission if the elimination of this natural buffer strip does not increase the runoff from either excavation across the property boundary. Any written permission to reduce a buffer must provide that it remains in effect until mining ceases and must be recorded in the registry of deeds. All property boundaries must be identified in the field by markings such as metal posts, stakes, flagging or blazed trees. The department may not grant a variance from the provisions of this subsection.

8. Erosion and sedimentation control. All reclaimed and unreclaimed areas, except for access roads, must be naturally