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ditches and a system of road drainage and collection ditches that directed disturbed <br />runoff to a sediment pond at the base of the disturbed area. <br />Coal mining operations at Rimrock began in the last half of November 1992. A series <br />of five pits. each 40 feet wide and B00 feet to 900 feet long, were planned for <br />development, with reclamation of the pits occurring contemporaneously. However. <br />coal quality sharply declined as the first pit advanced to the north In addition, a hard <br />sandstone bed, 4 feet thick, capped the coal, increasing overburden removal costs. <br />After filling only a few rail cars with coal, operations were halted. Notification of <br />temporary cessation status was received at the Division on February 11, 1993. <br />Backfilling and grading of the Phase I pit commenced in the Spring of 1993. The area <br />disturbed by the West step pit was 10.0 acres. This area received final grading during <br />the summer of 1993. Additional areas were disturbed on site for access roads, a <br />sediment pond and ditch. a topsoil stockpile. a fuel storage area, two drill sites, and a <br />collection ditch totaling 2.62 acres. These additional support areas. with the exception <br />of the oil containment area, access road, and sediment ditch/pond were reclaimed in <br />1993. <br />Rimrock Coal Company leased two rail loadouts from Energy Fuels Mining Company, <br />Santa Fe Loadouts Nos. 1 and 2, located in the town of Trinidad, Colorado. The <br />operator for Rimrock Coal Company, Landmark Reclamation, Inc.. reclaimed both <br />loadouts during the summer of 1993. Energy Fuels Mining Company held the <br />reclamation bond and maintained the reclamation liability for both of the loadouts. <br />Landmark Reclamation, Inc., retains no liabrlrty for reclamation of the Santa Fe <br />loadouts <br />Topsoil replacement and seeding of the permanent seed mix were accomplished at the <br />mine site in the summer and fall 1993 In October 1994 the Divisron determined that <br />not all stockpiled topsoil had been utilized. Remaining topsoil was redistributed by the <br />operator at the southern end of the permit area in November 1994. Contour furrows <br />were established and seeding of the southern end occurred at the end of 1994. The oil <br />containment area was graded and topsoil applied in November 1994. Seeding, <br />mulching and netting of the former topsoil stockpile footprint and the oil containment <br />area was achieved in late 1994 <br />CRITERIA AND SCHEDULE FOR BOND RELEASE <br />Rule 3 03.1(2)(a) states that up to 60% of the applicable bond shall be released when the <br />permittee successfully completes backfilUng, grading. and drainage Control rn accordance <br />with the approved reclamation plan. <br />Rule 3.03 1(2)(b) states that up to 85°~° of the applicable bond amount shall be released <br />upon the establishment of vegetation which supports the approved post-mining land use and <br />which meets the approved success standard for cover, pursuant to Rule 4 15.8, and based <br />on statistically valid data collected during a single year of the liabihry penod The remarrnng <br />portion of the bond amount shall be released when the perm~ttee has successfully completed <br />all surface coal mining reclamation operations rn accordance with the approved reclamation <br />