Laserfiche WebLink
United States Department of the Interior <br />&t - <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />�. <br />Reclamation and Enforcement <br />Western Region Office <br />1999 Broadway, Suite 3320 <br />Denver, CO 80202-3050 <br />January 27, 2017 <br />Mike Boulay, Coal Program Supervisor <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Re: Termination of Jurisdiction (SL -01), Ohio Creek No. 2 Mine, Revoked Permit No. C-1980-002 <br />Dear Mr. Boulay, <br />This letter acknowledges the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), <br />Denver Field Branch's (DFB) receipt and review of the above Termination of Jurisdiction (TOJ) <br />document prepared by the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) dated January 4, 2017. <br />The revoked permit for the Ohio Creek No. 2 Mine encompasses 88.5 acres, 3.22 of which were <br />disturbed by underground coal mining activities and subsequently reclaimed. The surface rights are <br />privately owned and the mineral estate was federal. The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board <br />revoked the permit (C-1980-002) and forfeited the $36,000 cash bond due to compliance issues in <br />February, 1996. <br />The final permittee, Robert Weaver, conducted primary reclamation of the site between 1993 and 1995 <br />prior to permit revocation and bond forfeiture. Upon transfer of the $36,000 into a bond forfeiture <br />account in March, 1996, DRMS performed the remaining reclamation work in the summer and fall of <br />1996. The site was later re -seeded by the Division in October, 2006. Due to the partial reclamation work <br />performed by Mr. Weaver and the surface owner's request that the site's access road, sediment pond, <br />and associated topsoil pile be left in place, DRMS did not expend all available funding to complete the <br />reclamation plan for this site. Colorado Rule 3.04.2(4) requires any excess forfeited bond amount be <br />refunded to the permittee or surety, whichever is appropriate. Accordingly, the Division has determined <br />the remaining $11,227 cash bond will be delivered to the Bank of the West in Gunnison, Colorado, <br />which has assumed the responsibilities of First National Bank of Gunnison which provided the original <br />$36,000 Letter of Credit (No. 25). <br />DBMS has monitored the reclamation at the Ohio Creek No. 2 Mine for over ten years and conducted a <br />final site inspection on July 12, 2016 which OSMRE attended. No landowner representative was present <br />for the inspection. DRMS did not receive any comments from landowners or the public regarding its <br />proposed TOJ action. <br />This TOJ applies to all portions of the 88.5 acre Ohio Creek No. 2 Mine permit revocation/bond <br />forfeiture site including 3.22 disturbed acres, areas overlying previously -proposed underground <br />