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West Elk Mine <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-10 Findings Page 3 of 8 <br />I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS <br /> <br />Mountain Coal Company, LLC applied for Partial Phase I bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal <br />Mining and Reclamation Act following reclamation of a portion of the West Elk Mine. The mine is <br />located in Delta, Gunnison County, All or portions of: Sections 9 through 36 (inclusive), Township 13 <br />South, Range 90 West; Sections 23 through 26 (inclusive), Township 13 South, Range 91 West; and <br />Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Township 14 South, Range 90 West; all of the 6th Principal <br />Meridian. Located in Gunnison and Delta Counties. The permit area can be found on the Bowie and <br />Somerset USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle maps. <br /> <br />Bond Release Summary <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-01 was received on 19 July 2004 and requested a release of 15.19 acres <br />for the thermal event disturbance area. The Division approved the Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-01 <br />on 14 October 2005 and released $ 79,727.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-02 was received on 26 July 2004 and requested a release of 5.5 acres <br />for the Lone Pine Gulch facilities area. The Division approved the Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-02 <br />on 2 November 2005 and released $ 122,629.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-03 was received on 16 May 2011 and requested a release of 47.65 <br />acres. The release included the plugging and abandonment of 74 drill holes, the backfilling and <br />regrading of 48 drill pads and the backfilling and regrading of approximately 8.5 miles of roads. The <br />Division issued its proposed decision to approve the Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-03 on 10 August <br />2012 and released $470,488.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase II Bond Release SL-04 was received on 3 October 2013 and requested a release of 67.6 <br />acres. The release included the replacement of topsoil and revegetation to control erosion to pre-mining <br />levels on vent shafts, drill pads and their associated light -use roads. The Division issued its proposed <br />decision to approve the Partial Phase II Bond Release SL-04 on 8 July 2013 and released $ 196,037.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-05 was received on 22 February 2013 and requested a release of 13.85 <br />acres. The release included the plugging and abandonment of 24 drill holes, the backfilling and <br />regrading of 17 drill pads and the backfilling and regrading of approximately 2.1 miles of roads. The <br />Division issued its proposed decision to approve the Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-05 on 11 February <br />2014 and released $ 94,475.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase III Bond Release SL-06 was received on 3 December 2013 and requested the final bond <br />release of 24.2 acres. The release included the Lone Pine area, the thermal event area and the West Point <br />area. The Division issued its proposed decision to approve the Partial Phase III Bond Release SL-06 on <br />12 June 2015 and released $69,761.00 <br /> <br />Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-07 was received on 1 May 2014 and requested a release of 19.23 acres. <br />The release included the plugging and abandonment of 22 drill holes, the backfilling and regrading of 22 <br />drill pads and the backfilling and regrading of the associated light-use roads and road spurs. The release <br />also included the Partial Phase I Release of the Monument Dam Borrow Area. The Division issued its <br />proposed decision to approve the Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-07 on 13 April 2015 and released