2016-09-28_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981019

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from southeast to northwest. Projected life of the South Taylor Pit is estimated to be until 2017, not including potential highwall mining, which could prolong this schedule. The East Taylor Fill is permitted for approximately 19.8 million cubic yards of permanent excess spoil from this pit. Additionally, Colowyo has permitted the West Taylor Fill for approximately 27.6 million cubic yards of permanent excess spoil. Reclamation in the South Taylor Pit is expected to conclude in 2029. Permit, Performance Bond, and Bond Release History The permanent program mining permit was issued on November 4, 1982. Six successive permit renewals have been approved subsequent to the initial permanent program permit approval; the most recent, Permit Renewal No. 6, was issued April 5, 2013, for a permit term that will expire November 5, 2017. The Division currently holds a reclamation bond, in the form of a self bond, in the amount of $80,517,829.00. Colowyo applied for eight previous bond releases: SL -01 was a Phase VII Bond Release submitted on June 2, 1987 and approved on October 8, 1987; SL -02 was a Phase I Bond Release submitted on September 25, 1997 and approved on April 27, 1998; SL -03 was a Phase II Bond Release submitted on September 26, 2000 and approved on August 15, 2001; SL -04 was a Phase VII Bond Release submitted on June 1, 2010 and approved on May 2, 2011; SL -05 was a Phase III Bond Release submitted on June 28, 2010 and approved on July 25, 2012; SL -06 was a Phase I Bond Release submitted on April 26, 2012 and approved on April 9, 2013; SL -07 was a Phase I Bond Release submitted on April 2, 2013 and approved on August 29, 2013; SL -8 was a Phase I Bond Release submitted on May 20, 2015 and approved on January 7, 2016. See Exhibit 1 in the SL -09 application for the locations of the previous Phase I Bond Releases at the Colowyo Mine. See Table 1 in this document for the previous bond release acreages and Table 2 in this document for the previous bond release amounts (no amount was released with SL -02 and SL -03 as the associated monies were "floated" to other areas of the mine where there was new disturbance). SL -09 Partial Phase I Bond Release Application The SL -09 application was received by the Division on February 29, 2016 and deemed complete on April 11, 2016. Colowyo published notice of the bond release application in the Craig Daily Press once weekly for four consecutive weeks, beginning February 26, 2016 and ending on March 18, 2016. Additionally, Colowyo published notice of the bond release application in the Herald Times once weekly for four consecutive weeks, beginning February 25, 2016 and ending on March 17, 2016. Colowyo notified land owners within and adjacent to the mine permit area, the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other interested parties of the application for bond release, as required by Rule 3.03.2(1). No comments, written objections or requests for an informal conference regarding the bond release application were received by the Division. Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance September 2016 Partial Phase I Bond Release SL -09 Page 3