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PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
<br />Snowcap Coal Company, Inc applied for partial bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal
<br />Mining and Reclamation Act following reclamation of the Roadside Portals. The mine is located
<br />in Mesa County, T1OS, R98W, 6th PM Sections 26, 27, 28, 34, and 35; T1OS, R98W, 6th PM
<br />and Portions of Section 2 T1OS, R98W, 6th PM in Mesa County. The location of these sections
<br />is contained within the U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute Cameo and Palisade Quadrangle
<br />maps. The specific areas requested for final bond release in this SL 10 application are located in
<br />T1OS, R98W, 6th PM Sections 27 and 28.
<br />This is the tenth bond release request (SL -10) filed for the Roadside North and South
<br />Portal Mines. The initial (SL -01) application was withdrawn. The SL -02 application for Phase I
<br />bond release was approved October 27, 2003. Various reclaimed surface facility locations
<br />within the permit area were granted Phase I release based proper completion of facilities
<br />removal, drainage control, and backfilling and grading by the SL -02 decision. The SL -03
<br />application was approved October 31, 2007 and released from full liability areas overlying
<br />underground workings at the Roadside North and South Portals totaling 7,294 acres. The SL -04
<br />application was approved January 26, 2009 and 18 acres were released from Phase I liability in
<br />the South Portal area and at the site of the former overland conveyor. The SL -05 application was
<br />approved November 5, 2009 and released 2.1 acres from full liability at the "Overland
<br />Conveyor" area located adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad and south of 19/10 th road. TheSL-
<br />06 application was approved December 14, 2010 and released 14.8 reclaimed acres from Phase I
<br />and II liability at an area referred to as the South Portal in T10S, R98W, Section 34. The SL -07
<br />application was approved on April 26, 2011 and released 75.2 acres from Phase I, II, and III
<br />liability at the Unit Train Load Out facility. The SL -08 application was approved on November
<br />14, 2015 and released 22.2 acres of Phase I liability, 136.5 acres of Phase II liability, and 128.0
<br />acres of Phase III liability. The Division also released 744.0 acres of affected area (lands
<br />overlying underground coal mine workings). The SL -09 application was approved on November
<br />23, 2016 and released 13.1 acres from Phase II liability, and 9.6 acres from Phase III liability
<br />An application for a partial Phase III bond release was received by the Division on March 10,
<br />2017. The application was deemed complete on April 6, 2017, after the Division received proof
<br />of publication of the applicant's public notice. Snowcap Coal Company, Inc. published notice of
<br />the bond release application in The Daily Sentinel once weekly for four consecutive weeks,
<br />beginning March 10, 2017. Snowcap Coal Company, Inc. also notified land owners within and
<br />adjacent to the mine permit area, and other interested parties of the application for bond release,
<br />as required by Rule 3.03.2(1).
<br />No comments, written objections, or requests for an informal conference regarding the bond
<br />release application were received by the Division.
<br />The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on April 24, 2017. The site
<br />inspection was conducted in accordance with Rule 3.03.2(2). The Division notified surface
<br />landowners, government agencies, the operator and subsurface landowners of the time and date
<br />of the bond release inspection via certified mail. Persons in attendance at the inspection included;
<br />Tonya Hammond, representing Snowcap Coal Company, Jim Stover, representing J.E. Stover
<br />Roadside Portals C1981-041 SL10 Findings
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