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<br />Moffat County Mining, LLC
<br />RECEIVED
<br />SIp 13 2013
<br />ama
<br />5I-, 3
<br />29515 Routt County Road 27
<br />Oak Creek, CO 80467
<br />970.879.3800
<br />Mr. Zach Trujillo September 10, 2013
<br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety
<br />1313 Sherman Street — Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />303.866.3567 Ext. 8164
<br />Re: Moffat County Mining, LLC — Williams Fork Mines (C -81 -044), Application for Partial Bond Release for
<br />Completion of Reclamation Activities for Utah Tract and Williams Fork Strip Pit, and Partial Reclamation of
<br />Mine 5 and 9 Portal Areas and Other Mine Facilities
<br />Dear Mr. Trujillo:
<br />The State of Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), currently holds a
<br />reclamation bond in the amount of $3,612,679 as surety for final reclamation of mining disturbance areas
<br />associated with Moffat County Mining, LLC's (MCM) Williams Fork Mines (Mines) near Craig, Colorado.
<br />With this application, MCM is requesting Phase 1 and 2 partial bond release for completion of reclamation, as
<br />outlined in the approved Permit document, for the Williams Fork Strip Pit and Utah Tract. MCM is also
<br />requesting Phase 1 and 2 partial bond release for sealing, backfilling, and grading the No. 5 and No. 9 Portals
<br />and Old Shop Area, and reclaiming the No. 9 Mine Refuse Area, and a Phase 1 partial bond release for
<br />completion of facility demolition, backfilling and grading, and site stabilization for various mine facilities
<br />reclaimed during the periods 1996 -1998 and 2008 -2009. The total requested bond release amount is $937,171.
<br />Phase 1 and 2 partial bond release is requested for completion of final reclamation for the approximately 199
<br />acres reclaimed in the Utah Tract and 95.4 acres in the Williams Fork Strip Pit area. Mined lands in both of
<br />these areas have been backfilled, regraded, effective drainage has been reestablished, soil materials have been
<br />replaced, and revegetation seeding has resulted in a stable vegetation community which is compatible with the
<br />approved postmining land uses of rangeland and wildlife habitat. Revegetation success sampling indicates that
<br />the reestablished vegetation communities for the Utah Tract and the Pre -Law portion of the Williams Fork Strip
<br />Pit meet the applicable revegetation success standards, making these areas eligible for Phase 2 bond release.
<br />The Post -Law portion of the Williams Fork Strip Pit fell just short of meeting the revegetation success standards
<br />for total vegetative cover and shrub density, so the bond release request for this area is limited to the Phase 1
<br />release at this time.
<br />Phase 1 and 2 partial bond release is requested for sealing, backfilling, regrading, site stabilization, soil material
<br />replacement, and revegetation seeding for the No. 5 and No, 9 Portals, the No. 9 Mine Refuse area and the Old
<br />Shop area. Disturbed lands associated with these areas have been reclaimed, interim revegetation success
<br />evaluations have been completed, but final revegetation success evaluations have not yet been completed for
<br />these recently reclaimed areas.
<br />Phase 1 partial bond release is requested for completion of facilities demolition, grading, soil material
<br />replacement, and revegetation seeding for the Old Mine Office Building, Women's Bathhouse, Visitor
<br />Bathhouse, Men's Bathhouse, No. 5 Mine Substation, Laboratory Trailer and Sample Storage Shed, two rock -
<br />dust tanks, the Brazel -Simms Building, No. 9 Mine Warehouse, Rock Crusher Site and Equipment, Reclamation
<br />Storage Building (Pole Barn), and sealing the Okie Plaza Well.
<br />The individual bond release components and calculations, as detailed in the accompanying Bond Release
<br />Summary, result in a total requested bond release amount of $937,171, based on estimated reclamation costs, as
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