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Summary of the Review <br />Process <br />Sun Coal Company applied for final full bond release under the Colorado <br />Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act for the haul road at the tleadows No. 1 <br />Mine. The mine is located approximately five miles southwest of Milner, in <br />Routt County, Colorado. The permit area is located in portions of Sections <br />11, 14, 23, 24, and 26, T6N, R87W of the 6th P.M.. The operator requested <br />that 100 percent of the remaining bond portion applicable to the haul road be <br />released. <br />The t4eadows tJo. 1 Mine has been in existence since April, 1977. The haul road <br />was constructed in accordance with the interim permit in the summer of 1977. <br />The mine suspended operations in February of 1981. The mine received a <br />permanent program permit (C-029-81) from the Division on August 9, 1483 for <br />reclamation only. Backfilling and grading of the pit area began in the Spring <br />of 1984. Topsoiling and seeding operations were completed in the Fall of <br />1984. Completion and implementation of the haul road decommission plan, which <br />was approved as a technical revision (July, 1984), was accomplished in the <br />Spring of 1985. <br />On September 26, 1986 the Mined Land Reclamation Division approved an <br />application for partial release of the bond applicable to the haul road. This <br />constituted a release of 5745,340.00 and retention of 5270,00.00. Currently <br />the Meadows #1 tiine site is covered by a total bond amount of 5574,388.00 <br />The partial bond release decision of 1986 was based on a finding that the road <br />was in a stable configuration. Therefore, reclamation costs relating to <br />stability, including backfilling and grading, were entirely released as part <br />of the partial bond release decision. Bond was retained for continued <br />maintenance of the road. <br />On August 4, 1988 the division received an application for final bond release <br />for the haul road. Public Notice concerning the submittal of the application <br />was given on August 25, 1988 through September 15, 1988. No written comments <br />concerning the application were received during the ensuing comment period. <br />A bond release inspection was conducted on October 5, 1988 after ratification <br />to Sun Coal Company and the landowner. At the time of the inspection the <br />landowner submitted a letter containing nine items. Six of these items <br />referred to the haul road. The remaining three items were not related to the <br />road. <br />The Division has reviewed the record with regard to previous bond release <br />activities concerning the haul road. This info oration coupled with <br />information gathered during the bond release inspection, from investigation of <br />aerial photography of the mine site, and submitted by the landowner is the <br />basis for the following findings and proposed decision. In addition the haul <br />road, as a permanent structure, was videotaped. <br />