2009-04-21_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981033

• Permit No: C1981033
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 4/21/2009
• Doc Name: Preliminary Submittal Adequacy Review & Cost Estimate
• From: Susan Burgmaier
• To: Joe Dudash
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Email Name: SLB
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203 C O L O RA D O

Phone: [phone] D I VI I S ION OF

FAX: [phone] RECLAMATION
MIN I N G
- St-
SAFETY
April 21, 2009
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
To: Joe Dudash Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
From: Susan Burgmaier Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
Re: Bear No. 3 Mine, Permit No. C-1981-033, Bear Coal Company
SL-4, Partial Phase One Bond Release, Preliminary Submittal Adequacy Review
Per your request, I have reviewed Bear Coal Company's preliminary bond release request document. Assuming
Bear Coal Company has completed the reclamation tasks they for which they are requesting release, and
assuming the completed reclamation is in accordance with the approved plan, I estimate that the Division could
reduce the liability by a maximum of $158,941.00. The operator has not requested Phase I release on the entire
disturbance area, so the proposed release amount is less than the maximum release allowable by Rule
3.03.1(2)(a). I estimate that the revised required bond amount would be $120,283.00. Again, this estimate is
made under the assumption that reclamation has been completed as reported by the operator.
In accordance with Rule 3.03.1(2)(a), up to sixty percent of the applicable bond shall be released when the
permittee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in accordance with the approved
reclamation plan; up to eighty five percent shall be released upon the establishment of vegetation which
supports the postmining land use and meets the approved revegetation success standards (Rule 3.03.1(2)(b));
and the remaining reclamation bond may be released at the end of the revegetation responsibility period and
when the permittee has successfully completed reclamation operations in accordance with the approved
reclamation plan (Rule 3.03.1(2)(c)). For the Bear Mine, the reclamation liability for the entire site was
estimated in 2007 to be $279,224.00. Based on this original liability figure, maximum release amounts by rule
are shown on the table below.
Maximum Release Minimum Retention
Initial Liability $279,224.00
Phase 1 $167,534.40 $111,689.60
Phase II $69,806.00 $41,883.60
Phase III $41,883.60 $0.00
Bear Coal Company's preliminary document indicates that they will not be requesting Phase I bond release on
the entire area, and it is also apparent that they are requesting a release that is greater than that allowed by
Rule 3.03.1(2)(a) (up to $167,534.40), were all of the reclamation eligible for Phase I release.
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines