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Snell &Wilmer <br />L.L.P. <br />than federal regulation, and thus, would violate the mandate of C.C.R. § 34-33-108 and <br />invalidate the regulations. <br />VI. <br />COLORADO'S REGULATIONS DO NOT AUTHORIZE DMG TO <br />INSTITUTE BOND FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS DUE TO SURETY <br />INCAPACITY <br />The Clark letter states that if Powderhom fails to obtain a replacement bond, the <br />regulatory agency will "be required to forfeit the Bond and demand that Frontier immediately <br />pay to DMG the full $2.6 million face amount of the Bond" Clazk Letter, p. 10. Even if DMG <br />has the authority to issue an NOV to Powderhor for failure to obtain a replacement bond, it does <br />not have the authority to order the allegedly inadequate bond to be forfeited. It is swell-settled <br />principle of administrative law that an agency possesses only the powers granted to it by statute <br />or regulation. 2 C.C.R. § 407-2, Rule 3.04.1 sets forth the criteria for forfeiture of performance <br />bonds, none of which authorize forfeiture due to surety incapacity. Accordingly, the assertion <br />that DMG has the authority to order the Bond to be forfeited if Powderhor does not obtain an <br />acceptable replacement is without merit. The only authority in DMG under the present <br />circumstances is to order that reclamation be initiated under the reclamation plan. <br />VII. <br />ANY EFFORT TO FIND POWDERHORN IN VIOLATION OR TO <br />FORECLOSE ITS BOND WOULD BE INEQUITABLE AS POWDERHORN <br />IS NOT CONDUCTING COAL MINING OPERATIONS AND IS <br />PROCEEDING WITHACTIVITIES NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT ITS <br />RECLAMATIONPLANINACCORDANCE WITHSTATELAW <br />Powderhom understands how Frontier's current status creates a difficult situation from <br />the State's perspective. However, should the State determine that Frontier's status creates an <br />unabated violation by Powderhom, it will have unfair and probably unintended consequences to <br />both Powderhom and Quaker, which could affect the bankruptcy reorganization, and possibly the <br />ability of the company to carry out the reclamation plan. An unabated violation could result in a <br />permit block against Quaker and its subsidiaries under the Applicant Violator System. <br />Even were the State inclined to seek foreclose of the Bond, State law identifies limited <br />circumstances under which DMG may take such drastic measures. In particular, the regulations <br />state that a bond may be forfeited when the "permittee has violated any of the terms or <br />conditions of the bond and has failed to take adequate corrective action." 2 CCR 407-2, <br />3.04.1(1)(a) (emphasis added). Here, Powderhor has violated no term or condition of its Bond. <br />Rather, the State is directly imputing a violation as a result of the status of Frontier, despite the <br />fact that Frontier has not been found incapable of meeting its surety obligations. <br />-8- <br />