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22, 1993. Subsequent to these renewals, two permit revisions have been approved. The first permit
<br />revision was submitted on December 1, 1993, requesting the addition of 205 acres to the permit area.
<br />This revision was approved on April 29, 1994. The second permit revision was submitted on September
<br />29, 1994, for a request to mine additional B-seam coal in sections 16 and 20 of the permit area. This
<br />revision (PR-02) was approved on February 8, 1995.
<br />Mining ceased at the Bear No. 3 Mine on November 9, 1996 due to geologic conditions encountered
<br />throughout the mine. The Bear Coal Company submitted a letter to the Division requesting a change of
<br />status to permanent cessation on December 2, 1996, and the status was changed on that date.
<br />A third permit renewal was applied for on January 17, 1997. A letter of adequacy concerns was
<br />forwarded to Bear Coal Company on June 2, 1997. After questions were resolved, the renewal was
<br />approved April 17, 1998.
<br />After final phase III bond release was completed at the Bear No. 1 and No. 2 Mines, the status of the Bear
<br />No. 3 Mine was changed to "inactive." All three portals at the Bear No. 3 Mine have been sealed and
<br />have drainage pipes installed. The mine benches and bench access roads have been backfilled and
<br />graded. The mine office building, mine fan, portal bench transfers, conveyor structure, stacking tube and
<br />miscellaneous mine equipment and debris have been removed. The disturbed area has been reseeded. A
<br />sedimentation pond and a spring water treatment pond also are on site.
<br />The operator submitted a complete renewal application for Permit Renewal No. 4 in submittals dated
<br />December 19, 2001 and December 28, 2001. The Division called the renewal application complete on
<br />January 2, 2002. The Division proposed a decision to approve, with one stipulation, Permit Renewal No.
<br />4 for the Bear No. 3 Mine on November 14, 2003. Permit Renewal No. 4 was subsequently issued.
<br />The permit that was issued under Permit Renewal No. 4 was to expire on July 19, 2007. The Division sent
<br />the required 270 day notice in a letter dated October 17, 2006. The Bear Coal Company sent the
<br />application for Permit Renewal No. 5 (RN-5) in a submittal dated January 12, 2007. With completeness
<br />on January 19, 2007, the operator secured the right to successive renewal. The RN-5 completeness letters
<br />were sent on that same date and the completeness public notice was published on January 24, 31,
<br />February 7 and 14, 2007.
<br />The Division sent its adequacy review letter on March 27, 2007. The Division's reclamation cost estimate
<br />for RN-5 was calculated to be $279,224.00. Also included in the Division's RN-5 adequacy review letter
<br />were unresolved issues carried over from the 2005 Midterm Review. The Bear Coal Company responded
<br />in a submittal dated July 8, 2007. Most of the issues were resolved. However, the Division decided to
<br />move several unresolved field and reclamation issues out of the RN-5 adequacy review process. The
<br />Division held enough bond to cover the increase in the reclamation cost estimate for RN-5. The two
<br />certificates of deposit and the one cash bond amounted to $279,224.00.
<br />The Division made its proposed decision to approve RN-5 on June 22, 2009. The proposed decision
<br />public notice was published in the Delta County Independent on June 2 and July 1, 2009. No objections
<br />were received by the Division so RN-5 was issued on August 4, 2009 with a new permit expiration date
<br />of July 19, 2012.
<br />The Bear Coal Company submitted a request for a Partial Phase One Bond Release (SL-4) in a submittal
<br />dated August 4, 2009. SL-4 was called complete on September 21, 2009 and completeness letters were
<br />mailed on the same day. The public notice of completeness was published in the August 12, 19, 26 and
<br />September 2, 2009 editions of the Delta County Independent.
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