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The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on September 19, 1996. The <br />site inspection was conducted in accordance with Section 3.03.2(2). Landowners of the release <br />area and the Office of Surface Mining were notified of the inspection. Representatives from <br />OSM and P&M were present during the inspection. The US Bureau of Land Management(BLM) <br />contacted the Division by telephone to decline attendance at the inspection. The BLM <br />representative stated at that time that they would be conducting their own inspection for other <br />reasons, and would look at the release area at that time. The representative also mentioned that <br />BLM had inspected the release area on previous occasions, and did not anticipate their having <br />reason to object to the release. <br />While the request for bond release was originally received June 19, 1996, the decision by the <br />Division has been delayed pending a written request by surface owners for retention of some <br />roads on the mine site. P&M coal provided a letter waiving [he decision deadline until all <br />signatures were received for the request letters. <br />II. CRITERIA AND SCHEDULE FOR BOND RELEASE <br />Section 3.03.1(2)(a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released <br />when the permittee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in <br />accordance with the approved reclamation plan." With regazd to Phase I bond release, the <br />approved reclamation plan for the Edna Mine requires that the mined azeas be backfilled and <br />regraded to approximate original contour, and drainage be restored to the premining <br />configuration. There is an approved post-mining topography map for the West Ridge area <br />(Exhibit 3.4-1 of the approved permit application package). At the time the Center Ridge area <br />was permitted, there was no requirement for the operator to submit a map or drawing of the <br />proposed postmining topography. For the West Ridge area, the reclamation plan requires that a <br />system of check dams and terraces (identified as the West Ridge Hydrologic Reconstruction Plan) <br />be installed. The approved designs and plan, as permitted under Permit Revision No. 2, for the <br />hydrologic reconstruction are located in Appendix 4.6-M of the approved Edna Mine permit <br />application package. The Division previously, in Permit Revision No. 3, approved permanent <br />retention of the West Ridge and Center Ridge sedimentation ponds. <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />The Center Ridge regraded area, for which there was no pre-approved postmining topography <br />(mined pre-SMCRA), blends well with the surrounding topography. The backfilled area appears <br />to be stable. Drainage on the area appears to have been reestablishedto pre-mine conditions. The <br />area proposed for release is at the crest of a hillside and did not include any reconstructed <br />drainages. <br />There is one gully (approximately 50' long, 8-10" deep) on the north end of the Center Ridge <br />release area. The gully appears to have formed in the early post-reclamationperiod and has since <br />Edw Mine ? Aond Release Na. 2 <br />