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Rule 3.03.1(2)(b) states that "Up to eighty-five percent of the applicable bond amount <br />shall be released upon the establishment of vegetation which supports the approved post <br />mining land use and which meets the approved success standard for cover..." and `'For <br />vegetative cover the revegetated area shall be considered acceptable if it is not less than <br />90 percent of the cover determined from the reference area or approved standard with 90 <br />percent statistical confidence..." (Rule 4.15.8(3)(a)). Further, "No more than sixty (60) <br />percent of the bond shall be released so long as the lands to which the release would be <br />applicable are contributing suspended solids to streamflow or runoff outside [he permit <br />area in excess of premining levels..." (Rule 3.03.1(3)(b)). With regard to the Phase II <br />Bond Release at the 720 Pit and Pit 1, the approved post mining land use is rangeland and <br />wildlife habitat. <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />Phase I Bond Release for the Loadout <br />The Operator is requesting a 60% ($8,472.00) Phase I Bond Release for the Loadout. <br />The total estimated cost for reclamation of the Loadout was $14,120.00. The reclamation <br />for this azea (backfilling and regrading) was completed in 1999. The criteria that need to <br />be met for a Phase I Bond Release are backfilling, regrading and drainage control. <br />Backfilling/Regrading -The area of the Loadout that was backfilled and regraded (not <br />including the permanent access road and warehouse building) appear to have been <br />completed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. A comparison of <br />premining and postmining topography maps from the permit (Map 35 and Drawing No. <br />2, respectively) and premining and postmining cross-sections (Map 39 from July 1989 <br />and Map 39 from May 2001, respectively) shows that the Operator has achieved <br />Approximate Original Contour (AOC), in accordance with Rule 4.14.1(2)(a). The <br />inspection confirmed that AOC has been achieved. Although the area is (and was) <br />relatively flat, there was a small hill in the Southeast portion of the Loadout that has been <br />reestablished. This hill is depicted incross-section A-A' of the bond release application. <br />During the inspection there did not appear to be any cracks or other problems associated <br />with the backfilling and regrading of the Loadout area. <br />Drainage Control -The drainage and sedimentation control a[ the regraded Loadout <br />consists of ditches, berms and a sediment pond. There is an irrigation ditch along the <br />Northeast side of the Loadout, to keep runoff from the undisturbed areas off of the <br />reclaimed area. There is a second ditch along the Southwest side of the Loadout to route <br />water from the reclaimed area and any potential runoff from undisturbed areas to the <br />sediment pond. This ditch also keeps runoff from the undisturbed areas off of the <br />reclaimed area. There is a permanent berm (or series of berms) around the entire site that <br />helps keep runoff from the undisturbed aeeas from reaching the reclaimed azea. The final <br />drainage and sediment control feature is the sediment pond. All runoff from the <br />Marr Mine SL-02 3 <br />