Laserfiche WebLink
II. SUMMARY OF THE BOND RELEASE PROCESS <br />Reclamation Historv of Bond Release Area <br />The Division approved a full release of reclamation liability for the Craig Generation Plant <br />Loadout in December 1985. That approval was for release of reclamation liability only. No <br />money was returned. <br />Bond release application SL-O1 was submitted September 9, 1996. Bond release SL-01 <br />requested Phase I bond release on 2511.7 acres, and Phase lI bond release on 1570.5 acres. The <br />Division approved the Phase I bond release on February 12, 1998 for backfilling and grading of <br />2511.7 acres of the bond release parcel. The Phase II portion of the bond release application <br />was reviewed separately from the Phase I request. The Division approved the Phase II bond <br />release for 1548 acres, on December 14, 1998. The two approvals released reclamation liability <br />only. No money was returned to the operator. <br />Bond release application SL-02 was submitted October 6, 1999. Bond release SL-02 requested <br />Phase II bond release on 319.5 acres of rangeland seeded in 1984, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 <br />in the Ashmore, Derringer and Hawken pits. SL-02 was approved December 23, 1999. The <br />approval released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the operator. <br />TMI submitted an application for a Phase II bond release, SL-03, that was received by the <br />Division on October 1, 2001. The approved post-mining land use is cropland. During the <br />review process, a neighboring landowner, Mr. Francis Lux, voiced concern regarding <br />diminution of flow from a natural spring, the Lippard No. 2 Spring, located downslope from the <br />Phase II application area. The Division required TMI to demonstrate that the Lippard Spring <br />No. 2 was not impacted by mining activities. TMI provided geologic cross-sections and detail <br />regarding the hydrologic stratigraphy. Upon review of TMI's information, the Division <br />determined that the diminution of flow of the Lippard Spring No. 2 is not a result of mining <br />impacts. Two aquicludes in the stratigraphic sequence act as hydraulic barriers between the pits <br />and the Lippard Spring No. 2. Precipitation for 2001 was somewhat lower than average, which <br />may have lowered the potentiometric surface of the 1St White Sandstone aquifer. A drop in only <br />a few feet of the 1St White Sandstone aquifer potentiometric surface might have resulted in the <br />surface expression of the spring to dry up. On April 19, 2002, the Division approved Phase II <br />reclamation liability release on 592.7 acres of reclaimed land in the Ashmore, Browning, and <br />Colt pits. The approval released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the <br />operator. <br />TMI submitted an application, SL-04, for a Phase III bond release on April 17, 2003. The <br />application requested final bond release on 408.5 acres of cropland and 1452.7 acres of <br />rangeland. Three and one-half acres were removed from the bond release request, resulting <br />in request of release of 1449.2 acres of reclaimed rangeland and 408.5 acres of cropland. The <br />land surface within the bond release area was private and state owned. Coal mined in the <br />associated bond release area was federal, state, county and privately owned coal. The Division <br />Trapper Mine Page 3 November 21, 2007 <br />Phase III Bond Release