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• INTRODUCTION
<br />This document is the proposed decision of the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (the
<br />Division) in response to a request for a partial PHASE II bond release at the Colowyo Coal Mine,
<br />Colowyo Coal Company, L.P., Division file number C-81-019. This document contains four parts.
<br />These include: 1) procedures and summary of the bond release process; 2) criteria and schedule for
<br />bond release; 3) observations and findings of the Division regazding compliance with the bond release
<br />requirements of the Colorado Surface Coa] Mining Reclamation Act and regulations promulgated
<br />thereunder; and 4) the Division's proposed decision on the request for bond release.
<br />Detailed information about the review process can be found in the Colorado Surface Coal Mine
<br />Reclamation Act (Act) and the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Boazd for Coal
<br />Mining (Rules). All Rules referenced within this document are contained within the Regulations.
<br />Detailed information about the mining and reclamation operations can be found in the permit
<br />application package (PAP) on file at the Division offices, located at 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215,
<br />in Denver, Colorado.
<br />The Colowyo Coal Mine is a surface mine which was permitted and is operated by the Colowyo Coal
<br />Company, L.P. (Colowyo). The land for which bond release has been requested includes
<br />approximately 627.1 acres of private, 124 acres of State of Colorado, and 11 acres of Federal owned
<br />• land. Coal that was mined from the azeas was private, State of Colorado, and Federal owned.
<br />Reclamation for which bond release has been requested was conducted during 1986 through 1995.
<br />I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
<br />Colowyo applied for a partial Phase II bond release of 762.1 acres under the Colorado Surface Coal
<br />Mining Reclamation Act following reclamation of a portion of the Colowyo Coa] Mine. These 762.1
<br />acres are a part of the overall acreage currently disturbed and/or reclaimed. The mine is located in
<br />Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties; in all or pazts of Sections 13, 15, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33 and 34
<br />Township 4 North, Range 93 West, and Sections 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 17, 20, 21, and 22 of
<br />Township 3 North, Range 93 West, of the 6'h P.M. Reclamation work declared in the bond release
<br />application lies wholly within Moffat County, and is located in Sections 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, and 16,
<br />Township 3 North, Range 93, and Section 33, Township 4 North, Range 93 West, of the 6's P.M. For
<br />more precise location descriptions, see Exhibit 3 of the Bond Release Application (a map), which is
<br />included herein by reference.
<br />This is the third bond release (SL-03) associated with this permit, the first being a combined partial
<br />Phase I and Phase II Bond Release of 9/25/87, and the second a partial Phase I Bond release of
<br />5/11/98. A summary of bond release actions is presented in the following table.
<br />C-81-019, SL-03, 15 August 2001
<br />Page 3 of 10 Pages
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