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The application requested final bond release on 408.5 of cropland and 1452.7 acres of rangeland. The <br />band release pazcel is composed of four bond release blocks: CR-82-92, A&E A/B 83-91, A,C&D-C <br />82-92, C& D A/B 84-92. The blocks include portions of West Buzzazd, Coyote, and Johnson <br />drainages. <br />The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on June 4, 2003. The site inspection <br />was conducted in accordance with Rule 3.03.2(2). Persons present during the bond release inspection <br />included: Mr. Frank Self representing TMI, Mr. Randy Pair of the Office of Surface Mining <br />Reclamation and Enforcement, and Janet Binns of the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology. The <br />Little Snake Resource Area office of the Bureau of Land Management was notified of the inspection but <br />BLM personnel declined to attend the inspection. Mr. Mazk Davis of the State Land Boazd was notified <br />of the inspection, but did not attend the inspection. <br />The Division sent an adequacy letter to TMI on July 24, 2003, requesting resolution of <br />inconsistencies observed in the field inspection. TMI provided acceptable responses on October 21, <br />2003. After review and inspection by DMG and OSM, 3.5 acres were removed from the bond release <br />request, resulting in request of release of 1449.2 acres of reclaimed rangeland. The land surface <br />within the bond release azea is private and state owned. Coal mined in the associated bond release area <br />was federal, state, county and private lease coal. <br />H. CRITERIA AND SCHEDULE FOR BOND RELEASE <br />PHASEI <br />Rule 3.03.1(2)(a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released when the <br />permitee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in accordance with the <br />approved reclamation plan." With regazd to Phase I bond release, TMI applied for a partial phase I bond <br />release with SLOT. The partial Phase I bond release was approved on February 12, 1998. All lands <br />requested in the current Phase III bond release application, SL-04, were included in the SLOT Phase I <br />bond release. <br />PHASE II <br />Rule 3.03.1(2)(6) states, "Up to eighty-five percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released upon <br />the establishment of vegetation which supports the approved postinining land use and which meets the <br />approved success standard for cover...based on statistically valid data collected during a single yeaz of <br />the liability period". In regard to Phase II bond release, Rule 3.03.2(3)(6) also states, " No more than <br />sixty (60) percent of the bond shall be released so long as the lands to which the release would be <br />applicable aze contributing suspended solids to streamflow or runoff outside the permit area in excess of <br />pre-mining levels as determined by baseline data or in excess of levels determined on adjacent non- <br />mined azeas". <br />Trapper Mine, SL-04 Findings 4 November 18, 2003 <br />