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III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII • • <br />ACZ "CZ 1°`- <br />Englneering antl Envlronmentel Servleea <br />1475 Plno Provo Road, Suite 109 <br />P.O. Box 7!4078 <br />. Steamboat Springs. Colorado 80x77 <br />303-879-8269 <br />August 13, 1993 <br />Mr. Michael $. Long -Director <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Rc: Energy Pucls Mining Company, Raton Creek Mine (Permit C-R2-055) <br />Request for Bond Release -Burlington Northern i.oadout <br />Dear Mr. Long: <br />Energy Tucls Mining Company (EFMC) purchued the Animu - I-felen Mines, loczced near <br />Trinidad, Colorado, from Sundance Coal Company in 1987 and operated the mines under she <br />name of the Raton Creek Mine until operations ceased in eazly 1991. With cessation of mining <br />operations there was no longer any need to maintain the associated off-site Burlington Northern <br />(RN) Loadout facility and reclamation of this facility was completed in early 1992. With This <br />submittal, EFMC respectfttlly requests release of that portion of the Raton Creek bond <br />associated with the BN Loadout. <br />This bond release request is formatted to effect compliance wi[h applicable provisions of Rule <br />3.03.2. It includes the accompanying Proposed Public Notice which slates ETMC's intent to <br />seek bond release and is designed to meet the requirements for both notification of ]anti owners <br />and government bodies and publiation in the local newspaper. A listing of those individuals <br />and entities to receive novice is also attached. <br />EI'MC leased and maintained the BN i.oadout for stockpiling and loading of coal into railroad <br />cars for shipment on the adjacent BN rail•line. EFMC, however, never attually utilized the <br />facility for coal loading. 1'he ladout area had a long history of prior use, having been used for <br />coal loading by EFMC's predecessor, Sundance Coal Company, and for other loading and light <br />industrial uses prior to chat. Consistent with previous disturbance and ttse, it's location within <br />the Trinidad rail-yards, and the stated desires of the surface landowner, postmining land use for <br />the BN Loadout was designated u "industrial". This postmining land use objective was reflected <br />in the approved reclamation plan for the site (Pages 659-660 of the Raton Creek Permit <br />Application document) which was limited to removal of coal handling structures and equipment, <br />regrading, and removal of excess stockpiled material exava[ed during historic site development. <br />'t'he reclamation plan contemplated no topsoil replacement or revegetarion. <br />LFMC initiated site reclamation in 1991 and completed reclamation in Januazy 1992. <br />Reclamation involved removal from the site of all coal handling structures and equipment, <br />backfilling of existing stockpiled material in[o the sub-grade hopper foundation excavation, antl <br />regrading of the entire 3.0 sue disturbance area to establish a stable, uniform surface <br />configuration. The reclamation contractor re«ived full salvage rights to the coal handling <br />structures and equipment as a consideration of the reclamation roncract and subsequently sold <br />any marketable materials Eor salvage and transported remaining materials and debris to an <br />approved landfill for disposal. <br />EFMC completed all site reclamation consistent with the approved plan with one rxccption. <br />The original reclamation plan reflected retention of the existing drainage collection sump to <br />ZO' d 800' oN SS: bi £6. £T 9f1H 8b066Z8£Q£: (II "JNI Z7ti <br />