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I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS <br />Energy Fuels Coal, Inc. applied for partial bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining and <br />Reclamation Act following reclamation of the Southfield Mine. The mine is located in Fremont County, <br />Colorado. The Mine Area is in Township 20S, Range 69W of the 6th P.M. (portions of Sections 19, 30, <br />and 31) and Township 20S, Range 70W of the 6th P.M. (portions of Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, and 36). <br />The Loadout is in Township 19S, Range 69W of the 6th P.M. (portions of Sections 17 and 18). <br />Two previous bond release applications, both Phase I applications, have been submitted and approved <br />for the Southfield Mine. SL -01, which entailed approximately 14 acres at the loadout, was approved <br />on November 4, 1997. SL -02, for the mine site, was approved on April 25, 2003 and covered <br />approximately 68 acres. <br />An application for the SL -03 bond release was received by the Division on October 13, 2015. The <br />application was deemed complete on October 23, 2015, after the Division received proof of publication <br />of the applicant's public notice. Energy Fuels Coal, Inc. published notice of the bond release application <br />in Canon City Daily Record once weekly for four consecutive weeks, beginning September 4, 2015. <br />Energy Fuels Coal, Inc. also notified land owners within and adjacent to the mine permit area and other <br />interested parties of the application for bond release, as required by Rule 3.03.2(1). <br />Several comments and written objections regarding the bond release application were received by the <br />Division. <br />The following comments were received from the Vento Group (surface owners): <br />• In an e-mail of October 15, 2015, Ms. Linda Saunders, a member of the Vento Group, noted that <br />EFCI is required to seal boreholes and wells on the Vento property. <br />• In an e-mail of October 26, 2015, Ms. Linda Saunders asked about the mining impacts on the <br />groundwater hydrology at the site. <br />• The Vento group has not filed an objection regarding the SL=03 application. <br />The Division has given considerable thought to the comments by the Vento Group (related to SL -03 and <br />other comments), and has decided that none of them warrant an adequacy issue for SL -03 or additional <br />action by EFCI. <br />In a letter dated September 24, 2015, Kenneth and Kathleen Warnock of Las Cruces LTD (adjacent <br />landowner) opposed the bond release due to "sloppy" reclamation. Particular issues include: erosion <br />(from roadside ditches onto the entrance road, which is where their property is located), the existence of <br />debris, and noxious weeds. The Division believes that the debris is not an issue, and weeds are not a <br />problem at the Southfield Mine site. As for the erosion onto the road, this issue is not related to SL -03. <br />The roadside ditch and other areas contributing sediment to the Warnock property are not within the <br />areas related to SL -03. This issue is being discussed independent of SL -03 due to some uncertainty <br />regarding responsibility for maintenance of this road. <br />The following comments were received from the Corley Company (Dr. W.D. Corley and Dr. Daryl <br />Southfield Mine SL -03 Page 3 of 21 February 23, 2016 <br />