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II. CRITERIA AND SCHEDULE FOR BOND RELEASE <br />PHASE I <br />The process of releasing the reclamation liability for a mine site is explained in Rule 3.03 and further <br />described in the Division's 1995 Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mining Bond Release Issues. Rule <br />3.03.1(2)(a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released when the <br />permittee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in accordance with the <br />approved reclamation plan." <br />SCC's approved reclamation plan prepared in accordance with Rule 2.05.4 is contained in Volume 9, <br />Tabs 19 through 21 of the permit application package (PAP). Details of the backfilling and grading plan, <br />schedule, and post mine topography are located in Tabs 19 and 20 of the PAP. Evaluation and <br />inspection was based on the specific requirements of the reclamation plan and the functional <br />requirements of the post-mining land use. Criteria for bond release included the following. <br />1. Hillslope and drainage channel gradients and general design compliance; <br />2. Performance of the reconstructed topography. Symptoms of failure or instabilities such as <br />slumping or exposed highwalls were examined; <br />3. Hillslope design/function with regard to erosion; <br />4. Swales and depressions with regard to numbers of features and effect on post-mining land use; <br />5. Blending of regraded land to undisturbed areas; <br />6. The functioning of drainages with regard to knickpoints, blending at disturbance boundaries and <br />channel erosion; <br />7. Erosional features; and <br />8. Drainage control for the reclaimed area, including upslope diversions. <br />At the time of the SL-2 inspection, rough backfilling and grading had been completed in all areas <br />subject to the release request. <br />One sediment pond (Pond 010) and one Stock Pond (ST-1) have been approved as permanent <br />impoundments for the postmining land use. Several additional sedimentation ponds (011, 013, 014) and <br />one additional stock pond have been proposed but not yet approved as permanent impoundments at the <br />Yoast Mine (see PAP Attachment 20-1 "Permanent Structures and Features"). Two haul roads (Road <br />"A" and Road "B") have been modified and approved by the Division for postmining access from Routt <br />County Road 27 into the reclaimed mining area. Several light use roads have also been approved by the <br />Division (LU1, LU2, LU3A, LU3B, LU4, and LU5), to be retained for the postmining land use. Neither <br />of the approved permanent impoundments and none of the approved permanent road corridors were <br />included in the SL-2 bond release application. <br />Final interior spoil grading was designed to produce a diverse topography with slopes generally no <br />steeper than 5(h): I (v), except in areas where pre-mining slopes were steeper than 5:1. The pre-mining <br />area at Yoast did include relatively steep hillslopes and steep ephemeral valley side-slopes in various <br />locations, in some cases exceeding 40%. Where such steep slopes occurred, reclaimed slopes were also <br />6