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Midterm Review <br />Keenesburg Strip Mine, Permit No. C- 1981 -028 <br />INTRODUCTION <br />This document presents the results of the Division's midterm review of the Coors Energy Company, <br />Keenesburg Strip Mine permit. This review was conducted to fulfill the requirements of Rules 2.083, <br />2.06.2(10), 2.063(4), 2.06.5(3), 2.06.7(5), and 3.02.2(4). The current permit renewal proposed decision was <br />issued September 7, 2011. The approval became final on October 17, 2011. The current permit term expires <br />October 14, 2016. <br />Rule 2.08.3 requires that the Division conduct a review of each permit issued prior to its mid -term. Based on <br />this review, for good cause shown, the Division may require reasonable revision or modification of the permit <br />provisions to ensure compliance with the Act and Regulations (see Section IV). <br />Rules 2.06.2, 2.063, 2.06.5 and 2.06.7 require that experimental practices, mountaintop removal variances, <br />steep slope variances from approximate original contour (AOC), and variances from contemporaneous <br />reclamation for combined surface and underground mining, be reviewed by the Division where applicable, <br />during the midterm review. The Keenesburg Strip Mine permit does not incorporate experimental practices, <br />or mountaintop removal practices. Variances to contemporaneous reclamation were granted during mining <br />operations for the backfilling and grading of Pit A (completed) and Pit B and for the current backfilling <br />operations. The Division approved a minor modification of the general requirement of Rule 4.14.2 for <br />reclamation of Pits A and B to the approximate original contour to accommodate the disposal of Ash and <br />mine waste rock (PAP, Section 2.05.4, page 114). Slopes are slightly steeper to reduce infiltration to the <br />buried ash. <br />Rule 3.02.2(4) requires that the Division review the amount of the bond and the terns of acceptance of the <br />bond every 2 1/2 years (see Section VI). <br />This midterm review consisted of a review of the Keenesburg Strip Mine permit application, the most recent <br />permit renewal (RN6) Findings Document, and revisions and stipulation responses processed subsequent to <br />the September 7rh, 2011 (RN6) proposed decision date, to ensure compliance with all permit commitments <br />and conditions. Problems and observations from past inspection reports were also considered. <br />The document is organized as follows: Section I is a brief review of mine status and history. Section II <br />summarizes revisions to the permit since the last permit renewal (RN6) review, and Section III summarizes <br />the status of stipulations attached to the permit. Section IV sets forth the Division's midterm adequacy <br />review comments and requests for revision. Section V discusses the status of permit variances and specific <br />approvals, and Section VI addresses the current reclamation cost estimate and liability amount, and the <br />adequacy of the current bond amount and bonding instruments. <br />2 <br />