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<br />I. Introduction <br /> <br />This document presents the results of a review conducted by the Division of Minerals and <br />Geology (DMG) of a partial Phase I Bond Release Request filed by the Energy Fuels <br />Mining Company (EFMC) for the Raton Creek Mines. Criteria and schedules for <br />performance bond releases are found in Section 3.03, "Release of Performance Bonds," of <br />the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. Phase I <br />Bond Release Requests may be filed by permittees when backfiliing, regrading, and <br />drainage control are completed in accordance with approved reclamation plans. Energy <br />Fuels Mining Company filed its partial Phase I Bond Release Request with DMG on <br />December 5, 1995. This request was designated by DMG as Bond Release Request <br />No. SL-03. <br />The Raton Creek Mines are a pair of small underground coal mines located approximately <br />one mile south of the town of Trinidad in Las Animas County, Colorado. Energy Fuels <br />Mining Company's Bond Release Request addressed reclamation that had been performed in <br />three small azeas. These areas were the office/pazking lot area, a portion of the south- <br />facing slope of the refuse pile, and portions of the north-facing and east-facing slopes of the <br />former substation azea. All three of these areas lie within the north half of the northwest <br />quarter of Section 36, Township 33 South, Range 64 West, 6th P.M. The combined <br />acreage of these three disturbances totals approximately one acre. <br />II. Criteria and Schedule for Release of Performance Bonds <br />The criteria and schedule for Phase I Bond Releases aze found in Section 3.03.1 of the <br />Board's Regulations. Section 3.03.1(2)(a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable <br />amount [of a performance bond] shall be released when the permittee successfully <br />completes backfilling, regrading and drainage control in accordance with the approved <br />reclamation plan." With regard to Phase I Bond Release for the three areas addressed in <br />Bond Release Request SL-03, the approved reclamation plan requires the reclaimed slopes <br />be graded to 3H:1V or less. The approved reclamation plan additionally requires that the <br />temporary catch basin embanlmtents constructed within the refuse collection ditch be <br />removed, in accordance with fatal drainage control designs. <br />Additional matters to be considered by DMG in the course of conducting any bond release <br />inspection are described in Section 3.03.2(2) of the Board's Regulations. These matters <br />include "the result of inspections and monitoring conducted pursuant to [Section] 4.05.13 <br />[surface water and groundwater monitoring] and [Section] 5.02 [DMG site and records <br />inspections], the degree of difficulty to complete any remaining reclamation, and whether <br />pollution of surface or subsurface water is occurring, the probability of future occtu-rence of <br />such pollution, and the estimated cost of abating such pollution." <br />III. Information Reviewed <br />The following information was reviewed by DMG in conjunction with its review of this <br />partial Phase I Bond Release Request for the Raton Cheek Mines: <br />