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Notice of Proposed Decision <br />The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety has issued a proposed decision to <br />approve Bond Release Application No. 6 (SL-6) for the Trinidad Basin Strip, Permit No. C- <br />1981-048. The Trinidad Basin Strip mine is a permit revocation/bond forfeiture site. The <br />permit area under consideration for termination of jurisdiction and final liability release is 1167 <br />acres of which 254 acres were disturbed and subsequently reclaimed. This termination of <br />jurisdiction process was initiated by the Division following completion of the required minimum <br />ten-year liability period for reclamation and revegetation of the disturbed area including two <br />years of vegetation sampling at the site. <br />The permit area and mine site are located about 5.5 miles west of the Ludlow exit on 1-25 in <br />Delagua Canyon in Las Animas County. The disturbed and reclaimed areas are in Sections <br />15 and 22, T31 S R65W of the 6th Principle Meridian. A coal loadout along Linden Avenue in <br />Trinidad was previously disturbed and reclaimed to an industrial use as approved by the <br />railroad owner during final reclamation. The loadout was located in a portion of Section 15, <br />T33S R63W of the Sixth Principal Meridian. <br />The TBM coal mine was originally permitted by Trinidad Basin Mining, Inc., approved by the <br />Division in 1982. The projected life of the mine was five years based on an annual <br />production of 240,000 tons per year. Due to a pattern of violations that occurred in late 1983 <br />and early 1984, the Mined Land Reclamation Board (MLRB) suspended the TBM mining <br />permit. The Division was notified by the operator of the cessation of mining operations in <br />November 1985 and the operator initiated reclamation operations. Following another series <br />of violations that occurred between 1985 and 1992, in May 1993, the permit was <br />permanently revoked by the MLRB and the bond, in the amount of $132,280.00, was <br />forfeited to the State of Colorado. <br />Since the permit was revoked and the bond was forfeited, the Division has completed <br />reclamation at the site utilizing all of the available bond monies. The Division has conducted <br />regular and periodic inspections to document any undesirable conditions or instability in the <br />reclamation work completed. Stability of the reclaimed land, successful revegetation of <br />grasses, forbs and shrubs, minimization of hydrologic impacts within the permitted area, and <br />prevention of hydrologic impacts outside the permitted area demonstrate that the site has <br />been successfully reclaimed over the past 12 years. Current post-mining land use of <br />rangeland for cattle grazing and ranchette development has been achieved and <br />demonstrated over the revegetation liability period. <br />Copies of the proposed decision are available for review at the Colorado Division of <br />Reclamation, Mining and Safety office, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215, Denver, Colorado <br />80203, and at the office of the Las Animas County Clerk and Recorder. <br />Any person who has an interest which is or may be adversely affected may request an <br />adjudicatory hearing regarding this proposed decision. Requests for a hearing must be made <br />in writing within thirty (30) days of the first publication of this notice, and shall state with <br />reasonable specificity the reasons for the request and objections to the proposed decision.