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and calculates the direct and indirect costs that result in a releasable amount of $50,952.00. This <br />amount, when subtracted from $967,121.00 results in a new reclamation liability resulting from <br />the approval of this bond release of $916,169.00. This required amount of bond to be retained by <br />the Division meets exactly the 60% limitation of Rule 3.03.1(2)(a) and is the minimum amount <br />of bond the Division must retain before any further bond monies can be released through the <br />bond release process. <br />Rule 3.03.1(2)(d) additionally restricts the Division from reducing the remaining bond amount to <br />an amount less than necessary to complete all remaining reclamation tasks in accordance with the <br />approved plan and approved cost estimate. The reclamation cost estimate was recalculated as <br />required for this bond release request and the concurrent Permit Renewal (RN-02) under review. <br />The amount of bond to complete the reclamation in accordance with the approved plan has been <br />determined to be $819,796.00. Therefore, the approved bond amount of $916,169.00 following <br />this industrial land use bond release is adequate and meets the requirement of Rule 3.03.1(2)(d). <br />III. Observations and Findings of the Division <br />Description of the Activities Creating the Disturbed Areas <br />Roads leading to and passing through the surface mine area were pre-existing and were widened <br />in only a few places to accommodate haul truck traffic. Haul roads and access roads will remain <br />for activities consistent with the approved land use of rangeland for the larger reclaimed area and <br />to accommodate pre-existing industrial activities of coal bed methane development and transport <br />for 27.2 acres subject to this bond release. The sections of road included in this bond release <br />request include the Lorencito haul road, the Lorencito access road to the office area, and the Jeff <br />Canyon haul road from the intersection with the Lorencito haul road until the road reaches the <br />disturbed area where mining occurred. Roads are used today almost exclusively for intensive <br />coal bed methane gas extraction activities and are maintained by the gas operator. <br />The service area consists of a .4 acre area along the Jeff Canyon haul road and was used to store <br />equipment parts and materials close to the pit areas that were necessary for coal mining <br />operations. A significant portion of the original service area was topsoiled and reseeded during <br />active mining operations as it was apparently not needed as originally planned. The area is <br />nothing more than a wide spot in the road bounded by a small revegetated area at the present <br />time. <br />The office area is about'/z acre and originally included a small parking lot, office trailer, and two <br />old rail cars for dry storage. The office trailer was removed many years ago. The rail cars were <br />requested to remain by the landowner (Hill) for storage associated with the industrial uses <br />following mining. Presently, road graders and other non-mining related equipment use the office <br />parking area as a rally point for industrial uses and road maintenance activities. <br />The coal loadout is about 4.5 acres and has been encroached upon by adjacent gravel mining and <br />road relocation associated with this non-coal mining activity. No permanent structures were ever <br />built at the coal loadout and none remain other than sediment pond 10 which the landowner has <br />requested remain for sediment control of industrial uses of this area. Non-coal related equipment <br />