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Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance <br />Partial Phase I, II and III Bond Release SL-23 Page 4 of 16 <br />seams extracted from, the West Pit were the same as those of the East Pit. The West Pit was roughly the <br />same overall size as the East Pit. Mining in the West Pit advanced from the north to south, paralleling <br />the movement of the adjacent East Pit. Mining operations in the West Pit were completed in 2015. <br />Reclamation activities remaining in the West Pit include backfilling, grading, reduction of the highwall, <br />and vegetation. <br /> <br />Colowyo is continuing to perform reclamation maintenance and activities in the East Pit and West Pit. <br />Reclamation in the East Pit and West Pit is expected to conclude in 2032 with associated parcels <br />related to the remaining in-pit haul road. <br /> <br />Operations in the South Taylor Pit began after the approval of PR-02 in 2007. This pit is located north <br />and west of the northward flowing Good Spring Creek and southwest of the West Pit. It lies partially in <br />Rio Blanco County. In the South Taylor Pit, 17 seam and sub-seam complexes are mined. The seams <br />are the A, B, C, D, E, F and G seams and their seam complexes (for example, the G-Seam is separated <br />into G7, G8 and G9 in the South Taylor Area). At the peak of operations, the South Taylor Pit will be <br />nearly 4,000 feet wide, 6,000 feet long, and 550 feet deep. Pit progression is from east to west. Mining <br />within the South Taylor Pit concluded in 2023 including highwall mining operations. Reclamation in <br />the South Taylor Pit is expected to conclude in 2031 as shown on Map 29 of the Colowyo PAP. <br /> <br />In 2017, construction began for the Collom Pit expansion approved with PR-04. Accessible seams at <br />the Collom Pit include the Y, X, A, B, C, E, F, and G. It is estimated that coal production from the <br />Collom Pit will range from 1.2 to about 2.4 million tons per year based on pit progression and market <br />needs. Mining methods at the Collom Pit will include a combination of dragline, truck/shovel and <br />highwall mining operations. Current activities are limited to activities outlined in Exhibit 13C - Collom <br />Cumulative Bond Schedule of the Colowyo PAP. <br /> <br />Permit, Performance Bond, and Bond Release History <br /> <br />The permanent program mining permit was issued on November 4, 1982. Eight successive permit <br />renewals have been approved subsequent to the initial permanent program permit approval; the most <br />recent, Permit Renewal No. 8, was issued February 25, 2023, for a permit term that will expire <br />November 5, 2027. The Division currently holds a reclamation bond, in the form of a corporate surety, <br />in the amount of $119,000,000.00. Colowyo has applied for twenty-two previous bond releases: <br /> <br /> <br />Previous Bond Release Summary <br />Bond Release Phase Submittal <br />Date Approval Date <br />SL-01 I and II 7/2/1987 10/8/1987 <br />SL-02 I 9/25/1997 4/27/1998 <br />SL-03 II 9/26/2000 8/15/2001 <br />SL-04 I and II 6/1/2001 7/25/2001 <br />SL-05 III 6/28/2010 7/25/2012 <br />SL-06 I 4/26/2012 4/9/2013 <br />SL-07 I 4/2/2013 8/29/2013 <br />SL-08 I 5/20/2015 1/7/2016 <br />SL-09 I 2/29/2016 9/28/2016