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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
<br />Department of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />Phone: (303) 866-3567
<br />FAX: (303) 832-8106
<br />To: Jim Stark
<br />From: Janet Binns
<br />Re: Colowyo S 4 Pha II Bond lea a Request Vegetation Review
<br />Date: October 29,
<br />COLORADO
<br />D IV IS I ON OF
<br />RECLAMATION
<br />MINING
<br />SAFETY
<br />I have reviewed Colowyo Coal Company L.P.'s (CCC) application for a phase II bond release on 432.7 acres at the
<br />Colowyo Mine. Twenty-eight parcels are included in the bond release block (BRB) and were seeded from 1996 to 2003.
<br />The seed mix used was included in application, Table 2.05-7 and 2.05-8. The post-mining land use is rangeland as
<br />defined by Rule 1.04(71)(c). The locations of the parcels are shown in Exhibit 2, Phase II Bond Release map in the SL4
<br />application package. Seventeen of the parcels are located at the reclaimed East Pit, and account for 365.89 acres. Nine
<br />parcels are located at the reclaimed West pit (or West pit fill), and accounts for 49.44 acres. The remaining two parcels
<br />are located in the Section 16 reclamation consisting of 17.37 acres.
<br />Vegetations Success standard: Phase II bond liability release acceptable if vegetation established on the reclaimed land
<br />meets the requirement of 90% herbaceous cover of the reference area standard with 90% statistical confidence (SL4
<br />app. P. 13) and Rule 4.15.8(3)(a).
<br />Colowyo Coal Company is requesting phase II bond release on reclamation areas: EP028, EP029, EP030, EP031, EP031
<br />EP032, EP033, EP034, EP036, EP037, EP038, EP039, EP040, EP041, EP042, EP043, EP044, WP003, WP004, WP005,
<br />WP006, WP007, WP008, WP009, WP010, WP011, S16010, and 516014.
<br />Reclaimed areas were sampled in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 in accordance with the permit sampling methodology.
<br />Sample adequacy was calculated using Cochran formula and is acceptable to the DRMS.
<br />1. Adequacy concern: Data from 2006 and 2007 sampling also includes data from parcels not included in the
<br />phase II bond release block. These parcels include; FA001, FA002, FA003, 516002, S16005, 516009, 516011,
<br />S16012, S16013, S16015, and 516016. In order for the Division to consider data from 2006 and 2007 as
<br />achieving reclamation success, data collected from these parcels will need to be removed from the data set.
<br />Data collected from transects 3, 30, 31, 32, 34, and 35 from the 2006 sampling event fell within parcels not
<br />under consideration for phase 11 bond release. Data collected from transects 4, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, and 39 from
<br />the 2007 sampling event fell within parcels not included in the phase II bond release block.
<br />2008 vegetation sampling results: All transects sampled during vegetation sampling were located within parcels that
<br />were requested for Phase II bond release in SL4. The reclaimed bond release block was sampled to adequacy in 2008.
<br />Both reference areas were sampled to adequacy in 2008. The live vegetative cover value on the SL4 Phase II Bond
<br />Release Block exceeded the weighted mean of the two reference areas; Mountain Shrub, and Sagebrush for the 2008
<br />sampling event. The live vegetative cover on the phase II bond release block is considered successful in accordance with
<br />Rule 4.15.7 and section 4.15.8 of the Colowyo permit.
<br />Office of Office of
<br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand )unction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines
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