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United States Department of the Interior <br />ENT OF ly OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />a m RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT <br />0 Western Region <br />P.O. Box 25065 <br />�gRCH 3. �$Q9 Lakewood, CO 80225-0065 <br />August 3, 2020 <br />James Stark <br />Coal Program Supervisor <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Re: Partial Phase I Bond Release SL -18, Colowyo Coal Company, LP, Colowyo Mine, C-1981-019 <br />Dear Mr. Stark, <br />This letter acknowledges the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), Denver Field <br />Branch's (DFB) receipt and review of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety's (DRMS) July <br />21, 2020 Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance pertaining to Colowyo Coal Company's (Colowyo) SL - <br />18 partial Phase I bond release application. OSMRE agrees with the proposed decision and hereby provides <br />concurrence in accordance with 30 CFR 740.15 (d)(3) and 30 CFR 906.30, Article IX, Section 24 of the State - <br />Federal Cooperative Agreement. <br />The surface ownership associated with this release is private and the mineral ownership is federal. By letters dated <br />May 8, 2020, DRMS invited The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and OSMRE to attend the bond release <br />inspection on June 4, 2020. OSMRE declined to attend. The BLM participated in the SL -18 inspection. By letter <br />dated July 29, 2020, BLM provided its concurrence with DRMS's proposed decision. OSMRE interprets this to <br />mean Colowyo is in compliance with all stipulations associated with its federal coal leases. <br />DRMS's proposed decision notes Colowyo's compliance with the approved Colorado regulatory program at <br />Rules 3.03.1(2)(a) and recommends authorizing partial Phase I bond release on 44.6 acres at the Colowyo Mine. <br />DRMS currently holds a performance bond in the amount of $115,000,000.00 which covers the entire permit area, <br />and now proposes to release a total of $444,003.00 from Phase I bond liability. DFB concurs with DRMS's <br />proposed decision and recommends Phase I bond release for the requested areas at the Colowyo Mine. <br />Thank you and your staff for coordinating this bond release action through the DFB. Please direct any questions <br />to Christine Belka, Senior Regulatory Program Specialist, at cbelkakosmre.gov or (303) 236-4682. <br />Sincerely, <br />by <br />HOWARD HHOWAIRDIgned SSTRAND <br />STRAND 110200.08.0 <br />11:58-06003 <br />Howard E. Strand, Manager <br />Denver Field Branch <br />Cc: Tony Tennyson, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. <br />