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<br />6 <br />PHASE III <br /> <br />Rule 3.03.1(2)(c) states that the final portion of performance bond, "shall be released when the <br />permittee has successfully completed all surface coal mining reclamation operations in accordance <br />with this approved reclamation plan, and the final inspection procedures of 3.03.2 have been satisfied. <br />This shall not be before the expiration of the period specified for revegetation responsibility in <br />3.02.3." Rule 3.03.1(4) states, " No bond shall be fully released until all reclamation requirements of <br />these Rules and the Act are fully met...". The same rule goes on to state, " No acreage shall be <br />released from the permit azea until all surface coal mining and reclamation operations on that acreage <br />have been completed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan." <br />The Mine No. 2 reclamation plan Map 48, dated 4/30/87, shows the approved post-mining contours <br />at Mine No. 2. Phase I bond release was approved for the Mine No. 2 azea September 1, 1987. The <br />Mine No. 2 azea was mined using bulldozers. No problems were identified with the post-mining <br />contours of Mine No. 2 during the 1987 release. <br />The Mine No. 2 azea was seeded with a pastureland seed mix. The pastureland seed mix used on the <br />Mine No. 2 area was submitted with the Bond Release Application as Table A. Mine No. 2 areas <br />were seeded in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982. <br />The post-mining land use has been approved as pastureland. Colorado Yampa Coal Company has <br />grazed Mine No. 2 regulazly as a part of their cattle operation for many yeazs. Implementation of the <br />post-mining land use verifies that the reclaimed land is capable of supporting the post-mining land <br />use. <br />Colorado Yampa Coal Company provided sedimentology demonstrations via SEDCAD+ modeling. <br />The model provided compares sediment yield from reclaimed lands to pre-mine conditions. A land- <br />use of pasture, with vegetative cover based upon reclaimed and reference azea sampling data, was <br />used in this comparison. Colorado Yampa Coal Company's comparison indicates that the reclaimed <br />slopes produce less sediment than the area in apre-mine condition, if it had cover equal to that of the <br />reference azea. The low incidence of rill and gully formation on the reclaimed slopes, as observed in <br />Division inspections and Colorado Yampa Coal Company's Annual Rill and Gully Surveys, further <br />support this modeling result. The requirements of Rule 3.03.1(3)(b) have been met. <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />PHASE I <br />All highwalls in the Mine No. 2 area were backfilled and regraded between 1979 and 1981. The area <br />currently requested for bond release consists of the East Block, also known as Area 6, and the West <br />Block. Two permanent drainages have been re-established in the East Block, known as PG-1 and <br />PG-2. PG-l directs runoff into permanent livestock pond U-a. Livestock pond 6-b was encountered <br />