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IL PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
<br /> Colowyo Coal Company L.P. applied for a partial Phase I bond release for 145.9 acres associated with the
<br /> West Pit,north and east of the Collom Pit,and northeast of the Gossard Loadout facility as shown on Map
<br /> 1 of the SL-24 application and Figure 1 of this document.These areas were backfilled and graded in 2016,
<br /> 2017,2018,2022,2023 and 2024.
<br /> The bond release areas are located in Moffat County in Colowyo Coal Mine' s permit boundary in portions
<br /> of Township 3 North,Range 93 West of the 6th P.M.,Township 3 North,Range 94 West of the 6th P.M.,
<br /> Township 4 North,Range 93 West of the 6th P.M.,and Township 4 North,Range 94 West of the 6th P.M.
<br /> The permit area can be found on the USGS Quadrangle 7.5 Minute Series Maps of Axial and Nine
<br /> Mile Gap. The permit area and surface ownership can be found on Map 1 of the Colowyo Permit
<br /> Application Package (PAP), and the coal ownership can be found on Map 2 of the Colowyo PAP.
<br /> An application for Phase I bond release was received by the Division on March 20,2025. The application was
<br /> deemed complete on April 18, 2025, after the Division received proof of publication of the applicant's public
<br /> notice. Colowyo Coal Company L.P.published notice of the bond release application in CO Mountain News
<br /> Media-Craig Daily Press once weekly for four consecutive weeks,beginning March 19,2025,and ending on
<br /> April 9,2025. Colowyo Coal Company L.P. also notified landowners within and adjacent to the mine permit
<br /> area,and other interested parties of the application for bond release,as required by Rule 3.03.2(1).
<br /> No comments,written objections,or requests for an informal conference regarding the bond release application
<br /> were received by the Division.
<br /> The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on May 15, 2025. The site inspection was
<br /> conducted in accordance with Rule 3.03.2(2). The inspection was attended by Hunter Ridley of the Division,
<br /> Andrew Monroy of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OMSRE) and by Tony
<br /> Tennyson and Tom Fry representing CCC. Tom Cummings, with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
<br /> was also in attendance.Notice of inspection was sent to the State Land Board,but no representative from this
<br /> agency was in attendance. A summary of the bond release inspection is presented in Section III, of this
<br /> document. Detailed observations of the inspection are documented in the inspection report that was
<br /> issued May 21, 2025. See Figure 1 of this document for the location of the SL-24 partial Phase I Bond
<br /> Release areas.
<br /> Background
<br /> The East Pit and West Pit mining sites lie just west of the northward flowing Goodspring (also
<br /> referred to as Good Spring) Creek,which is paralleled by Colorado Highway 13. The area includes
<br /> gently sloping uplands and valleys that cut into the upland surface. These valleys are generally
<br /> narrow, V-shaped, and about 250 to 500 feet deep. Elevations range from approximately 7,650
<br /> feet in the upper portion of East Pit reclamation to 6,950 feet near East Taylor Pond.
<br /> Mining operations began in 1976 with the East Pit, a multi-seam coal operation that continued to
<br /> move in a southerly direction. Eight coal seams (Y, X,A, B, C, D, E, F)were mined from the East
<br /> Pit, ranging in thickness from two to fifteen feet. The East Pit is nearly 6,000 feet from east to west
<br /> (width), 1,000 feet in breadth (highwall to highwall), and 450 feet deep. Due to the number of coal
<br /> seams, immense size of the pit, and manpower and equipment employed, pit progression was slow,
<br /> Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance
<br /> Partial Phase I Bond Release SL-24 Page 3 of 14
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