2011-05-02_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981019

Home Browse Search

record attended the inspection; however, all parties were notified of the inspection via certified mail. A summary of the bond release inspection and any concerns identified are presented in Section IV, below, and detailed observations of the inspection are documented in the 24-27 August 2010 inspection report that was issued 17 September 2010. See Figure 1 for the location of the SL-04 Phase I Bond Release area and Figure 2 for the location of the SL-04 Phase II Bond Release area. III. CRITERIA FOR BOND RELEASE Phase I Bond Release The Division evaluated Colowyo's request for Phase I Bond Release on 494.2 acres in the SL-04 application, as shown on Figure 1 of this document. Under Colorado's Permanent Program, the process of releasing the reclamation bond for a mine site is explained in Rule 3.03 and further described in the Division's 1995 Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mining Bond Release Issues. The bond release process involves three phases. At Phase I, Rule 3.03.1(2) (a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released when the permittee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in accordance with the approved reclamation plan." Evaluation and inspection of the reclaimed areas was based on the specific requirements of the reclamation plan and the functional requirements of the post-mining land use. Criteria for bond release included the following. 1. Hillslope and drainage channel gradients and general design compliance; 2. Performance of the reconstructed topography. Symptoms of failure or instabilities such as slumping or exposed highwalls were examined; 3. Hillslope design/function with regard to erosion; 4. Swales and depressions with regard to numbers of features and effect on post-mining land use; 5. Blending of regraded land to undisturbed areas; 6. The functioning of drainages with regard to knickpoints, blending at disturbance boundaries and channel erosion; 7. Erosional features; and 8. Drainage control for the reclaimed area, including upslope diversions. Colowyo's approved reclamation plan was prepared in accordance with Rule 2.05.4. Colowyo was granted a variance for contemporaneous reclamation for the East Pit, West Pit and Section 16 Pit due to the nature of multi-seam mining. Backfilling and rough grading commenced once a steady- state condition was reached in each of the pits. The approved backfilling and grading plan for the Colowyo Mine is found in Volume 1 of the permit application package. Map 19 shows the approved post-mining topography, Map 29 shows the backfilling and grading schedule and Map 41 shows the location of the permanent, post-mining drainage channels. The pre and post-mining cross-sections are shown on Map 20 and the permanent drainage channel profiles are shown on Map 33. There were no variances Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance 2 May 2011 Partial Phase 1/11 Bond Release SL-04 Page 4