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L PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
<br />CAM Mining, LLC applied for partial bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining and
<br />Reclamation Act following reclamation of the Munger Canyon Mine. The mine is located in
<br />Garfield, Mesa County, 18 miles North of Loma, Colorado in Munger Canyon (mine site) and
<br />1/2 mile east of Loma (rail loadout site). The mine area is located in:
<br />Mine site: Portions of Sections 27, 28, 29, 33, and 34, T7S, R102W, 6th P.M.
<br />Rail Loadout: Portions of Section 34, T2N, R3W, Ute PM. Portions of Section 3, TIN,
<br />R3W, Ute P.M.
<br />Reclamation began with the sealing of the underground mine openings which was performed in
<br />accordance with the approved plan and MSHA regulations. The four portals at Munger Canyon
<br />were sealed with concrete foam in 1992, at varying distances in from the openings. The
<br />remaining openings were backfilled out by the seals in early July 2000, as verified in the
<br />Division's July 31, 2000 inspection report. Interim reclamation was conducted on the mine
<br />portal bench in the fall of 2001 and spring of 2002. In 2001, 2.9 acres at the Loma loadout was
<br />contoured and seeded. Additional site clean-up at the Loma loadout which included grading and
<br />seeding with a stabilization seed mix was conducted in November of 2001. Maintenance grading
<br />and seeding to repair areas of caving over the backfilled portals was conducted in 2003 and
<br />2004, and remedial seeding was conducted at the Loma loadout in November 2004, due to
<br />failure of the initial seeding. In 2006, additional reclamation was performed on 1.6 acres of light
<br />use road located in Munger Canyon. Final reclamation operations were initiated in 2007 in the
<br />Munger Mine area. Backfilling, top soiling, and temporary seeding operations were completed
<br />at the mine portal area, the portal access road, the coal mine waste area, and the lower road
<br />topsoil stockpile area between mid May and late July 2007. All buildings, structures and
<br />facilities at the mine site and Loma loadout were removed.
<br />In 2008, CAM applied for a Phase I bond release of 18.5 disturbed acres at the Munger Canyon
<br />Mine site and the Loma loadout. The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release
<br />inspection on December 3, 2008. After the inspection, the Division made the findings that 17.2
<br />acres, including 14.3 acres at the Munger Canyon site and 2.9 acres at Loma loadout, would be
<br />released for Phase I. Specifically excluded from the Phase I bond release request was 1.3 acres of
<br />former haul road and surrounding area located on BLM surface that was narrowed by 12 feet.
<br />An application for a combination of Phase I, II and III bond release was received by the Division
<br />on September 3, 2014. The application was deemed complete on October 6, 2014, after the
<br />Division received proof of publication of the applicant's public notice. CAM Mining, LLC
<br />published notice of the bond release application in The Daily Sentinel once weekly for four
<br />consecutive weeks, beginning October 24, 2014. CAM Mining, LLC also notified land owners
<br />within and adjacent to the mine permit area, and other interested parties of the application for
<br />bond release, as required by Rule 3.03.2(1).
<br />No comments, written objections, or requests for an informal conference regarding the bond
<br />release application were received by the Division.
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