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Public Notice
<br />Oxbow Mining, LLC (OMLLC), P.O. Box 535, Somerset, CO 81434, (970) 929-5122, has filed
<br />a Phase II Bond Release Request to OMLLC's Mining and Reclamation Permit No. C-1981-022
<br />with the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board (Board), under the provisions of the Colorado
<br />Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act of 1979. The permit was originally issued by the Board in
<br />October 11, 1983, and subsequently renewed. The current five-year permit renewal is under
<br />administrative renewal review by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. The
<br />State of Colorado holds a surety reclamation bond in the amount of $4,500,000.00 that exceeds
<br />the current reclamation liability of $4,113,573.04.
<br />OMLLC's approved permit area is located in Gunnison and Delta Counties north of the town of Somerset
<br />and the North Fork of the Gunnison River. OMLLC's current permit area is included within areas found on
<br />the Somerset and Bowie USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle maps and is generally described as follows: Township
<br />12 South, Range 90 West, 6t' PM, all or parts of Sections 27-34; Township 12 South, Range 91 West, 6th
<br />PM, all or parts of Sections 25-27 and 34-36; Township 13 South, Range 89 West 6th PM, all or parts of
<br />Sections 6 and 7; Township 13 South, Range 90 West, 6th PM, all or parts of Sections 1-12 and 17; Township
<br />3 South, Range 91 West, 6th PM, all or parts of Sections 1-3 and 11-13. The permit area contains
<br />approximately 15,676.51 acres of surface lands of which 5,551 acres are on private land and 10,125.51 acres
<br />are on federal land.
<br />OMLLC is requesting a Phase II Bond Release for certain reclaimed mine ventilation
<br />boreholes, drill pads, and associated road segments and surface disturbance at the mine. These
<br />reclaimed areas comprise approximately 56.02 acres of private, Bureau of Land Management,
<br />and National Forest System lands. These sites and roads were necessary for prior coal mining
<br />operations. OMLLC is requesting a release of a total of 85% of the reclamation bond
<br />applicable to sites proposed for Phase 11 bond release, as allowed by Colorado Statute and
<br />Rule 3.03. This amount will be verified by the State of Colorado. Revegetated sites have met
<br />the applicable vegetation bond release criteria for Phase II bond release and have been shown
<br />to control erosion to levels of adjacent undisturbed areas.
<br />Reclamation of the sites for which Phase II bond release is being requested was completed
<br />between 2015 and 2017. Reclamation included backfilling and regrading of surface
<br />disturbance, plugging and abandonment of drill holes, reclamation of pad locations and
<br />roads, with subsequent replacement of plant growth medium, and implementation of
<br />sediment control measures. The areas proposed for bond release have been revegetated using
<br />various methods of seeding, fertilizing, and mulching consistent with the requirements of the
<br />various surface landowners.
<br />A copy of the bond release application is available for review at the
<br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, 1313 Sherman Street, Room
<br />215 Denver, CO 80203, phone (303) 866-3567, the Gunnison County Planning
<br />Office, 221 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, CO 81230, and the Delta County Clerk and Recorder,
<br />Delta County Courthouse, 501 Palmer St. #211, Delta, Colorado 81416 during the review period.
<br />All information pertinent to the bond release request is presented within this application.
<br />Comments or objections concerning the application should be directed to the CDRMS at the
<br />above address not later than 30 days after the last date of publication of this notice (published
<br />4 times consecutively) in order to be considered. Published , 2020.
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