Laserfiche WebLink
3 <br />I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS <br />Trapper Mining Inc. applied for Phase One partial bond release under the Colorado Surface <br />Coal Mining Reclamation Act following reclamation of portions of the Trapper Mine. The mine <br />is located in Moffat County, approximately 6.5 miles south of Craig, Colorado. The mine area <br />is located in portions of Sections 5 and 6 of TSN, R90W, portions of Sections 1, 4 and 5 and <br />all of Sections 2 and 3 of TSN, R91 W, portions of Sections 30 and 32 and all of Section 31 of <br />T6N, R90W, and portions of Sections 2l, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 32 and all of Sections 33, 34, <br />35 and 36 of T6N. R91 W. <br />There have not been any previous bond release applications submittedby Trapper Mining Inc. <br />for the Trapper Mine, although there had been a liability release application submitted in <br />September of 1985 and approved in December of 1985. The liability release, which did not <br />involve any bond release, was for the Craig Generation Station Loadout. <br />The application for Phase One partial bond release, which also included the Phase Two partial <br />bond release request, was received by the Division on September 9, 1996. The application wa; <br />deemed complete on October 16, 1996, after the Division received proof of publication of the <br />applicant's public notice. Trapper Mining Inc. published notice of the bond release application <br />in the Northwest Colorado Daily Press once weekly for four consecutive weeks, beginning on <br />September 6, 1996. Trapper Mining Inc also notified landowners within and adjacent to the <br />mine permit area, and other interested parties of the application for bond release, as required <br />by Rule 3.03.2(1). During [he adequacy review process, Trapper elected to separate the Phase <br />One portion from the Phase Two portion of the bond release application. <br />The Division had one adequacy issue concerning Trapper's Phase One partial bond release <br />submittal. This issue involved a 72.0 acre reclaimed area at the north end of the East Pyeatt <br />drainage. The Division's compliance inspection of September 22, 1997 revealed erosional <br />problems in that portion of the reclaimed area after a greater than 25 year-24 hour precipitatirn <br />event hit the mine site just a few days prior to the inspection. Trapper decided to withdraw that <br />72.0 acre area from the Phase One partial bond release submittal. Parcel A-C-94 and portions <br />of parcels A-C-95 and A-B-95, shown on Map 2.0, were involved. <br />No comments, written objections, or requests for an informal conference regarding the bond <br />release application were received by the Division. <br />The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on November 4, 1996. The <br />site inspection was conducted in accordance with Rule 3.03.2(2). Forrest Luke represented <br />Trapper Mining Inc, as their environmental manager. The Division was represented by Joe <br />Dudash, David Berry and Bill Carter. The Office of Surface Mining was representedby Mitch <br />Rollings. Janet Hook represented the Bureau of Land Management. The only two landowners <br />involved in this bond release request were Trapper Mining Inc. and the State of Colorado. <br />