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INTRODUCTION <br />This document is the proposed decision of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and <br />Safety ( Division) in response to a request for a Partial Phase III Bond Release at the West Elk <br />Mine, Division permit number C-1980-007. The package contains four parts. These parts include: <br />1) procedures and summary of the bond release process; 2) criteria and schedule for bond release; 3) <br />observations and findings of the Division regarding compliance with the bond release requirements <br />of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act and regulations promulgated thereunder; <br />and 4) the Division's proposed decision on the request for bond release. <br />Detailed information about the review process can be found in the Act and the Regulations of the <br />Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. All Rules referenced within this <br />document are contained within the Regulations. Detailed information about the mining and <br />reclamation operations at the West Elk Mine can be found in the permit application, on file at the <br />Division offices, located at 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215, in Denver, Colorado. <br />The West Elk Mine is an underground coal mine, which is permitted and operated by the Mountain <br />Coal Company, LLC (MCC). Land for which bond release has been requested is Federally owned <br />and the coal mined was federally owned. Reclamation for which the Bond Release has been <br />requested was conducted between 1996 and 2002. MCC is requesting Phase III bond release on <br />24.2 acres. The release is for the successful completion of all surface coal mining reclamation <br />operations in accordance with the approved reclamation plan on the Lone Pine area, the Thermal <br />Event area and the West Point area. The Division has previously approved Phase I and Phase II <br />Bond Releases for these locations with the approval of SL -01, SL -02 and SL -04. <br />West Elk Mine 2 12 June 2015 <br />Partial Phase III Bond Release SL -06 Findings <br />