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<br />Mr. Rick Siebel, Regional Director -2- May 16, 1995 <br />Office of Surface Mining <br />Western Region Coordinating Center <br />Florence, Colorado, approximately ninety miles to the northwest of the mine site, in Fremont <br />County. There are no full-time company personnel on site at the mine. <br />The Raton Creek Mine comprises a disturbed surface area of approximately 28 acres. EFMC <br />ceased production at the mine in mid-1990, and, following a period of temporary cessation, began <br />site reclamation in 1992. A performance bond in the amount of $205,831.00 is currently held <br />by the Division for the reclamation of the site. <br />EFMC submitted a request for a Phase I Bond Release for certain portions of the mine site to the <br />Division on December 27, 1994. The request was found complete on February 17, 1995, <br />following the submittal by EFMC to the Division of the required proofs of notifications and <br />publications. <br />Those portions of the mine site requested for Phase I release included the No. 1 and No. 2 portal <br />areas, two former raw coal pile areas, a former processed coal pile and truck loading area, areas <br />that previously contained a substation, a garage, and a parking lot, and the regraded and covered <br />coal mine waste bank. There are a few disturbed areas at the mine site which are currently <br />approved for retention as permanent structures. Mine site disturbed areas that were not included <br />in the request for Phase I release included two rail yard loadouts, a former mine office area, a <br />shop building and a former processing plant azea, a steel water tank, the single sedimentation <br />pond, and the mine site access road. <br />The Division conducted its Phase I Bond Release Inspection on March 8, 1995, following <br />notification to all appropriate parties. Present at the inspection were two representatives from <br />the Division, two representatives from EFMC, two representatives from OSM/AFO, and two of <br />the surface landowners. <br />B. Bond Release- Inspection Observations <br />1. Backf~lling and Regrading <br />All the mine's highwalls associated with the face-ups at the Portal No. 1 and Portal No. 2 <br />areas were completely backfilled and graded. This was done in accordance with Sections <br />2.05.3(8) and 2.05.4(2)(c) of the mine permit, and Section 4.10.4(3) of the Regulations of <br />the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. Certified engineer's reports <br />of the backfilling, compacting and grading for both portal aeeas have been submitted to the <br />Division by EFMC. <br />The No. 1 Portal highwall was previously approximately 20 feet in height and 450 feet in <br />length. This area had been completely backfilled. Nine Abney level measurements were <br />taken on this slope, which demonstrated an average slope of 15.4°. This fell within the <br />required reclamation gradient of 18.43°. <br />